Reading Finding the Fox
by Jammy JAMJAM
Summary: One and a half years after his interview with Ali Sparkes. Dax finally purchases the book series that was based on his life. What does he plan to do with them? Simple he is gathering up the True Eleven and Clive to read the Shapeshifter series. Enjoy!
1. Prologue

_Okay people I was looking through the Shapeshifter Fanfiction stuff and realised that there was no 'Reading' stories._

_I was inspired by an autor called jlmill9 who writes very good stories._

_I really really hope I'll get some reviews for this story. *fingers crossed*_

_I'm desperate for reviews!_

_One and Only_

_Vayla Evans7_

_-o^.^o-_

* * *

—Reading Finding the Fox—

PROLOGUE

'What are these?' Gideon asked holding up one of the five books.

'They are books written on us Gid.' Dax said as he took out the first book in the piles. 'I interviewed a writer called Ali Sparkes about a year and a half ago and she found my life story pretty interesting. This here' —Dax waved the book he was holding into Gideon's face— 'Is the first book of the series.'

'What are you planning to do with them?'

'Well I figured that I could gather up the 'True Eleven' plus Clive and read the series together tonight, since we lived through these events as a group.'

'Does Spook have to come?' Gideon asked he clearly wanted Dax to say 'no'.

'Yes.' —Gideon groaned— 'Sorry Gid but he has to. He's like one of the main characters.'

'Fine. I'll tolerate the Glitter Git. Only for this once though!' Gideon said.

'Okay let's get the group together then.'

* * *

_A/N: In this story Dax is Sixteen so it is four years after Finding the Fox & Running the Risk (they were still twelve in the second book weren't they?)_

_I know this was the shortest prologue in the history of prologues seriously 179 words in the prologue itself. Sucks I know that is why I posted up Reading Chapter 1 along with the prologue. _

_Incredibly smart arent I? Maybe not -.-|||_

_This A/N is going nowhere so I'll move onto Disclaimers._

_But before that. PWEEEEAAASE REEEEEVIIIIIEEEEEEW! *puppy face sulking look*_

_Disclaimers: I do not own Shapeshifter. (If I did Spook would be the main character. Although Dax is doing a good job being the main character too.)_

_I do have book 1 (DUH!) & 4 on my bookshelf though. I'm ordering book 2 and maybe 3 this week so that I could wtite Reading Running the Risk and Reading Going to Ground when I'm done with Reading Finding the Fox._

_Late A/N: Dax is reading the first chapter for us. _

_This is a Fanfiction Production of One and Only_

_Vayla Evans7_

_-o^.^o-_


	2. Reading Chapter 1

_Okay now I'm actually starting the main story and yes it is longer than 200 words. Since it is the whole Chapter 1 of Finding the Fox with some side stories and commentary in addition. _

_Feel free to review. _

_I'll be really glad if you actually do! _

_I do not own the characters or the original book in this story yet I do own the storyline for the Fanfiction parts. I'm not Ali Sparkes, she was a natural talent. I am just another Fanfiction author._

_I really hope people enjoy this story. And I also want some reviews and maybe some advice on the story._

_Enjoy the Story!_

_Vayla Evans7_

_-o^.^o-_

* * *

—Reading Chapter 1—

'Okay dingo you got us all gathered up here so what is so important that you had to disturb all of us in the middle of the night.' Spook crossed his arms.

'Spook we are truly sorry that we had to wake you up from your beauty sleep.' Gideon said. 'But you guys have to check this out!' Gideon said as he held up the book 'Finding the Fox'.

'Gideon seriously? A book?' Lisa scowled at him.

'Not just any book! It's the first book of the series that has been written about us!' To that everyone went still.

'They wrote books about us?' Mia said in amazement.

'Sweet we're famous!' Jacob exclaimed giving his brother Alex a hi-five.

'Quiet.' Lisa hissed through gritted teeth. 'If we're found loitering around at this time of the night we'll get in serious trouble.'

'Well what are you waiting for Dax? Read it.' Clive insisted.

'Actually I figured we should have turns reading the book.' Dax said. 'So who wants to go first?'

'Argh! Stop being so humble and read already!' Lisa demanded and with a sigh Dax flipped through the pages and began reading:

'**Chapter One**

**Dax Jones spent a lot of time in the back garden thinking about his attitude.**'

'What attitude?' Gideon exclaimed in disbelief.

'Who knows?' Dax replied bitterly.

'**It was an unlovely garden; a rectangle of uneven grass with charmless grey-green bushes at its edge, split by a concrete path which led to the shed, behind which was a compost heap.**'

'Euurgh! That's disgusting.' Spook scowled.

'Well no one takes care of the garden at home.' Dax said with a shrug.

'That is pretty revolting.' Lisa said. 'Imagine the smell.' She shivered at the thought.

'Well sorry for not having the exact hygienic home!' Dax said. 'On with the story.

'**A washing line stretched between two posts almost the entire length of it, kinked by pegs and sagging in the middle.**

'**Today the back door was banged shut so hard the panes rattled. Through the glass Dax could see Gina shooting the top and bottom bolts across, the undersides of her pudgy upper arms swinging violently with the effort. 'You can do some weeding while you're out there,' she said, her voice muted by the glass, but still sharp with dislike.**'

'Wait did she actually send you outside?' Lisa asked.

'What do you think?' Dax arched an eyebrow.

'What a stinking b—'

'I know.' Dax cut her off just before the inappropriate word. 'I lived with her for eight years.'

'You probably deserved to get sent outside.' Spook said. 'Probably did some of your freaky shape shifting stuff.'

'You think so?' Dax arched an eyebrow. 'Well we'll see.' And then he kept on reading:

'**Dax hadn't had the right expression on his face during lunch.**'

'Oh too bad your guess was wrong Spencer!' Lisa said with a smirk.

'How many times do I have to tell you to not call me _that_?' Spook asked with exasperation. 'But I bet he's going to shape shift during this chapter.'

'Can you bet money on it?' Gideon asked.

'I bet my Cola allowance for the next three months.'

'You're on!' Gideon said and they shook on it. Dax caught Spook wiping his hand that was in contact with Gideon with a handkerchief afterwards.

'Okay I'm reading now.

'**Even though he ate all the burnt bits without complaint, his attitude had sneaked up on him, apparently. Again.**

'**Alice and I are going to town and when we get back I'll expect to see the garden weed-free. We won't be back until teatime, so if you need a drink you van use the outside tap.'**

'**She regarded him through the glass for a moment.**'

'Not a good sign.' Alex said who has gotten into trouble many times along with his twin brother. 'That is the 'searching for an excuse to yell' stare.'

'What?' Lisa asked.

'You'll see.' Jacob said.

'**Dax tried to remain still and expressionless.**'

'And now.'

'**And you can take that stuck-up look off your face!' she suddenly snapped, and then turned on her heel and was gone.**'

'See I told you. The 'searching for an excuse to yell' stare.' Alex said.

'**Dax let out a sigh of relief and sank down onto one of the white plastic patio chairs on the four feet of concrete outside the patio doors. The mildewy**—'

'That word doesn't exist!' Clive suddenly cut in.

'Good writer make up some words like Roald Dahl.' Gideon replied. 'Now be quiet people! I've got a bet to win!'

'You wish Reader. I'm telling you I'm going to win this bet.' Spook smirked.

'Guys let me read! Please!' Dax pleaded. Everyone went silent. 'Thank you.'

'**The mildewy water lying in its lowest curve immediately seeped into the seat of his jeans. Dax stood up again. He was perfectly still and perfectly quiet. At the front of the house he heard the door open and slam shut, Alice's shrill voice**—'

'Which is kind of like this.' Alex said as he mimicked her voice perfectly.

'— **From the drive, Gina's reply, keys jingling and, finally, the car departing.**'

'Now you have the freedom to shape shift.' Spook said. Gideon snorted a laugh.

'I'm telling you it's not this chapter.' Gideon insisted.

'**In the silence that followed, anyone watching the boy in the back garden might have thought he was calm. Meditating even. And it was true that Dax often **_**seemed**_** calm.**'

'I would like to emphasize the word 'seemed' there.' Spook said.

'You don't need to. It's already in italics.' Dax said. And then kept on reading:

'**Dax never shouted. Dax barely even raised his voice at home. It wasn't that he didn't get angry. He sometimes got so angry he could explode. There had been times when he'd been so angry he'd frightened even himself, like the last summer evening when Gina had cleared out all his wildlife books and art stuff and gave them to a jumble sale collector.**'

'That's like what my mother had done with my capes last year.' Spook said.

'Oh so that's why you don't do dress ups with your twinkly stuff anymore.' Gideon grinned. And indeed that was true.

Ever since he was fifteen and almost for a year now Spook had not been in his magician clothes. Instead in stylish jeans and various amounts of T-shirts, which were to be honest pretty cool when put in comparison with the stuff he used to wear.

'Wait! Wasn't your mum a designer for children's and adolescent's clothing?' Lisa asked.

'Yes. Yes she is. That's exactly why she threw my stuff away. She wants me to wear her 'special designs' instead of the 'circus capes'.'

'Hey! She designs good stuff okay? I actually go shopping for her designs.'

'Okay can I continue reading now? Or are we going to keep on with this fashion dilemma?' Dax asked and everyone went silent in response.

''**When you've got your **_**own**_** house you can fill it with junk,' she'd said to him, hands on her hips on the upstairs landing, **_**daring**_** him to argue.**'

'Not only daring to argue.' Alex said. 'I think she's daring you to push her down the stairs.'

'But Dax is such a nice and kind kid. He wouldn't do that to anyone.' Spook cooed. 'Read on!' he said to Dax.

'**He'd been so filled with fury and bitterness that he'd nearly—truly, **_**honestly**_**—run at her and pushed her down the stairs. He had actually **_**seen**_** himself do it, **_**felt**_** the warm gasp of air from her shocked mouth in the millisecond before he shoved, heard her shrieks of rage and the noisy, satisfying thuds as she bounced from step to step and hit the hallway floor like a sack of sand.**'

'Only of course he hadn't.' Spook said.

'**Only of course he hadn't. He'd just screwed up his fists in his pockets and dug his fingernails into his palm so hard that four tiny crescents could still be found in each after an hour later. And then he'd gone quietly back into his room to look at the gap under his bed, where his treasured books, paper, and charcoal had once been.**'

'Luckily Spook your mum replaced your clothing with _new_ ones.' Barry said trying to imply on the fact that Spook was more fortunate than Dax was.

'She had to. Otherwise I'd have nothing to wear.' Spook said with a shrug.

'**It looked back at him, balefully, like an empty eye socket.**'

Jacob began to sing a dramatic hymn. Dax glowered at him.

'Just setting the mood mate!' He said innocently and even Spook —who was not fond of him the slightest— began to snicker.

'If I need background music I'll _ask_ for it.' Dax said and got back to the book.

'**Over the years he'd learned a trick. When he started to feel that shake in the pit of his stomach, that feeling like an earthquake under the planet's crust, getting ready to spew blazing molten rock right up and out into space, he pushed down hard with his mind. He pushed down hard with an imaginary thick metal bin-lid and squashed the angry lava back down into his core. In his head he tried to see his lava cooling down and going dull red and then grey and clunky like in those pictures of the lower slopes of Mount Etna. Eventually he'd make it go solid and cold.**'

'You just gave the perfect description of bottling it up.' Spook who had stayed quiet for a well amount of time finally spoke.

'For once I have to agree with Spook mate.' Gideon said bitterly. 'At least say something about it to make her stop!'

'Don't worry Gid. She's been keeping her distance ever since I you know shifted in front of her. Now where was I? Ah found it.

'**The only problem with this was that several volcanoes' worth of cold anger was knocking around inside Dax Jones. He went around with an almost permanent stomach ache. Even he didn't realize how heavy it made him.**'

'Well when you bottle your feelings up that tends to happen.' Clive said crossing his arms.

'Just don't worry about it! Concentrate on the book!' Dax exclaimed.

'**He walked the concrete path to the shed to find a hoe for breaking up the weedy patch that ran from the compost heap**—don't make any comments—**to the scrubby low brambles at the far end of the garden. When Gina had said 'weed-free' he'd known better than to think she was joking.**'

'I would too.' Barry said with horror as he disappeared. Yet still could be heard.

'**The small shed was a warm, woody chamber of old balls of raffia, plastic pots, gardening tools, and bags of peat. Its door was unlocked, but kept from swinging in the wind by a stout piece of wood, which turned a 180 degree arch on a stout nail. It was loose and you had to watch it didn't swing down and clout you on the temple as you walked in. Dax shoved it up, holding it in place as he pulled open the door and wandered into the little shed. He spent a fair bit of time here on days when he was 'thinking about his attitude'.**'

'I've got a feeling that something bad is going to happen.' Jennifer said nervously.

'I've got the feeling that he's going to shape shift here. Reader it's not that late to turn away from your bet.' Spook sang.

'You wish! You're just too worried that you'll lose your money!' Gideon hissed. 'Read on Dax!'

'**He rummaged into the far corner for the hoe and as he was trying to untangle it from the skinny grip of the rake, there was a sudden gust of wind outside and, with a woody thud, the shed door banged shut.**'

'Oh no!' Jennifer said in horror.

'Don't worry he could transform into a fox anytime now.' Spook said coolly.

'_Or_ Gina and Alice could unlock him anytime soon.' Gideon said pointedly.

'Who do you think is going to win?' Jacob asked Alex and they telepathically put down their bets.

'**Dax hauled out the hoe with a final tug**—'

'You're still worried about that?' Lisa asked in disbelief.

'**And had turned to go back outside when there was a tiny squeaking sound and a small clop. It wasn't until he pushed the door that he realized what this meant.**'

'Geez you're slow.' Clive said.

'**The thick wooden latch had just flopped back down. It had often done this, but never in the seconds that followed a sharp north-easterly gust of wind. Never just as the shed door had slammed shut, with a boy inside.**'

'Well you're the first then.' Spook smirked.

'**No matter how unlikely this chain of events might seem, Dax realized, with a jolt in his carefully quietened body, that it just **_**had**_**.**'

'Dum! Dum! Dum!' Jacob sang dramatically.

'**He was shut in. he shoved hard against the door. It didn't budge at all. He gritted his teeth and eyed the small window, but unless he was prepared to smash it, that was no good. There was a loose plank at the back, behind the bags of peat.**'

'Wait so you're actually going to break it?' Gideon asked with disbelief.

'Well he's desperate to get out.' Mia said. 'So I guess breaking a window would be fine.'

'**He pulled the heavy vinyl sacks aside and prodded at it, but there was no way he could fit through the gap.**'

'Damn. That didn't work either.' Gideon said in disappointment.

'I don't get it.' Spook said. 'If there are tools in the shed why don't you just use some to break the door or something?'

Dax realised that what the illusionist said could've work if he had thought about that before in the shed. But if Gina had found the shed door broken she probably would've murdered him.

'I would've gotten into big trouble.' Dax simply said.

'**With a sigh, Dax sank on to the floor of the shed and prepared to wait out the three or four hours until his stepmum and half sister came back. By now they would probably have arrived at the giant indoor shopping centre on the edge of town, where would probably spend an astonishing amount of money on something pink and glittery to go either on some part of Alice, or in some part of her room.**'

'Is there anything she owns that is _not_ pink?' Lisa asked in disbelief.

'Not that I know of.' Dax replied. And that was the truth every bit of clothing Alice owned _was_ pink.

'**A pinker and more doll-filled room than Alice's you couldn't hope to find—but there was always something that could be added to it.**

'**Dax had the smallest bedroom at the darkest end of the house, where a damp patch leached through in the corner under the eaves. The window in it was high up and shallow, like a letterbox. A network of tiny wires ran through the glass, so if you smashed it the pane wouldn't shatter, but just hang there like a crunched-up clear mint.**'

'Cool.' Jacob said enthusiastically.

'**The mean amount of light that filtered in through it came only for a couple of hours at the end of the day. The room was just big enough for his bed and a high, narrow chest of drawers. The walls were painted a dull khaki green and the curtains were brown.**'

'Odd choice of colours.' Lisa pointed out.

'No actually when you put the two colours together it gives out a nice natural effect to the room. The colour would look more affective if the person used wooden bed frames and drawers but not like a white golden wood, like a tree bark coloured wood. And as a result the room would look really good even if the colour it is painted in is a really ugly one.' Spook stated. Everyone faced him in an awkward way. 'What? My mum works with colours. And sometimes gives me useful tips.'

'No wonder. You know almost every single colour in the world.'

'Keep on reading Dax. This story just began to get interesting.'

'**His dad had plans to extend the house one day, over the garage. It would mean a proper sized room for him. But his dad was almost never there. He worked on the oil rigs, way out at the sea. He was gone for weeks and weeks at a time, and when he came back there was so much that Gina wanted doing, or Alice wanted doing, that Dax didn't really get much attention. Besides, his dad always looked exhausted when he came back**—'

'Poor guy. He's having those two torment him.' Mia said in pity.

'That Dax was glad to be the only one who didn't add to it.'

'I swear you're such a happy-go-lucky, Daxerella.' Spook shook his head in disbelief.

'Daxerella?' Dax said.

'Yep. It's the new nickname I came up with for you, Daxerella.' Dax shook his head with disbelief as he kept on reading.

'**So his tiny room looked set to stay tiny. Dax told himself it was like a den. Like a fox hole.**'

'What a suitable home for you.' Spook mocked.

'To tell the truth that is pretty ironic.' Lisa said.

'**At night, when his letterbox window was tilted open, Dax could sometimes hear foxes in the woods at the edge of the estate.**

'**And more than once he'd heard the foxes in the garden. You could smell, sometimes, that a fox had been through. In the garden shed, Dax could smell it now.**'

'I think that was your own scent.' Barry said.

'You '_think_'? I'm pretty sure it is.' Spook replied.

'**A hot, sour, almost grassy smell. Dax wasn't sure whether he liked it or not, but mixed with the woody smell of the little hut, it was oddly comforting.**'

'Of course it was! It is the scent of your own kind!' Spook pointed out.

'Spook stop interrupting him otherwise we'll interrupt _you_ when you're reading!' Gideon demanded.

'Hey I'm only making commentary okay Reader? Since it seems more fun this way.'

'To be honest. It is more entertaining this way.' Darren agreed.

'And I won't mind it when you're making _your_ commentary when _I'm_ the one reading. I'm not a hypocrite.' Spook said. Although the red-head was not very much likable. What he had said about not being a hypocrite was true.

'**As the late morning wore into an afternoon, the sun came out, and the little shed grew very hot. Dax began to get thirsty. He was hungry, but being thirsty was worse. His tongue felt like sandpaper in his mouth. He remembered reading somewhere that nomads crossing the desert used to suck stones to keep their tongues from drying out. He thought seriously about sucking one of the stubby little screws in his father's tool box, behind the peat bags.**'

'How about going for the hammer or the nail puller instead of the screws?' Spook asked sarcastically. 'God I cannot understand how you and I are related, and why the hell is everything behind the _peat bags_?' Everyone actually laughed at the last comment.

'**He looked up to one of the little wooden shelves and thought about the bottles there.**'

'Were those shelves behind the peat bags too?' Alex asked.

'Probably was.' Spook replied. 'Everything seems to be there,'

'**Two were dark green and very dusty. One was clear glass, with a lemonade label on it.**'

'Weird place to keep the lemonade if you ask me.' Gideon said. He had finally come to realise that commentary was actually very fun.

'**It almost certainly **_**wasn't**_** lemonade. It was practically certain to be white spirit or turpentine or something else that would burn your tongue off if you tried to drink it, but still, to see it there, looking so much like lemonade, as the shed grew hotter and hotter, and the sweat began to make his T-shirt stick o his back, was torture.**'

'Hold it there for a second.' Clive said. Everyone stopped and looked at him. 'Okay people be honest with me who else is very thirsty now?'

To be honest all o them were very thirsty after listening to the long paragraph about Dax's insufferable thirst. Especially Dax since he had reminisced about that day.

'But how are we supposed to get the water at this time of the night?' Darren asked. Everyone in the group faced him and sweat dropped. Dax began to wonder how Spook had ever accepted Darren as a friend.

'Darren you're sometimes a big fat idiot.' Gideon said as he shook his head in disbelief.

'Hey! Knock it off will you? He never broke the school rules unlike most of us in here.' Spook said. 'Darren it is simple we will just sneak into the kitchen get few glasses of water and maybe even lemonade (he clearly craved for it)—if there's any that is— and then sneak back in here.'

'Okay but we'll need to be very quiet.' Lisa said.

'Maybe only two or three of us should go.' Barry said nervously. He never liked getting into trouble. 'There would be a less chance of getting caught.' He added later on.

'Fine Alex and I'll go.' Jacob said getting up as his brother followed his actions. The group faced them unsurely. 'Don't worry we've done things like these heaps of times without getting caught. Since we can communicate telepathically.' As he got ready to go.

'So it'll be a bottle of lemonade and a bottle of water with twelve plastic cups.' Alex said.

'Wait.' Spook suddenly declared as he got up from where he was sitting. 'I'll come too.' The twins faced him in an unsure way. 'Just in case if distraction is needed.' Spook added on. It was true that for the last two years Spook's illusions had improved greatly. He could now even make illusions that Dax could actually _see_. Although they did not look as effective to him as they had to others. To Dax it now just seemed like holograms from Star Wars while others actually at times made an attempt to touch it.

So Jacob, Alex and Spook went off to the kitchens for the water and if they were lucky the lemonade. While the others waited for them in the common room.

'Just how much detail did you give that writer?' Lisa asked.

'You mean Ali Sparkes? Enough details to write a minimum three hundred paged five books.' Dax replied. 'And to be honest with you she did a pretty good job with it.'

'That I agree. But when am I going to be introduced?' Gideon asked.

'I don't know. This is the first time I'm reading this book.'

'By the way. What is up with Glitter Git? He seems—I don't know—nicer than usual. Do you have any explanations for that Darren?' Gideon asked as he turned to face the illusionist's loyal companion.

'He is not that bad.' Darren replied. 'He only gives you guys nicknames and he does that for every friend of his.'

'Figured you'd say that. Since you're like his loyal dog.' Gideon said as he turned away from him. Darren quite liked the other students yet Spook was his friend and he was not going to tolerate anyone making bad comments about his friend.

'Then aren't you the same for Dax?' Darren pointed out. Gideon looked stunned by his comment. Darren rarely spoke and to see him say something like this could've caused one to have a heart attack. 'Look sorry for saying that, but really Spook is not a bad person. He helped you out once right?'

'Yea. For money though.'

'I was talking to Dax.'

'Huh?'

Dax vaguely remembered what Darren meant. Spook had once saved his life from a bunch of hunters although he couldn't remember whether or not he'd mentioned to his friends about it. He hoped that he had mentioned Ali Sparkes about that.

'How long could it possibly take for three people to get out some drinks?' Lisa asked she was clearly getting impatient. 'I'm about to die!'

'Don't worry Lees.' Mia said soothingly. 'They'll be back anytime soon.'

'We're all thirsty.' Jennifer said with a slight plead to her voice. 'All thanks to someone who mentioned thirst.' She gave Barry the a look of disapproval.

The only one who seemed to be not whining was Gideon's triplet Luke and that was because he _couldn't_ whine, due to the fact that around three years ago his triplet sister Catherine had turned him into a mute. Luke seemed to feel like he was left out since he could not speak therefore not make any commentary and probably read.

'Sorry if we kept you waiting.' Jacob said suddenly barging into the room.

'You should be!' Lisa hissed as she tore the bottle of lemonade from his grip.

'Lees! Don't be a grouch. They have every right to have a drink first since those three were the ones to sneak out to get the drinks.

'That's right! You've no right to treat us like this.' Alex said as he filled up a few glasses with the bottle of lemonade he took and his other companions to the kitchen—yes. Even Spook— agreed with him.

'Let's all drink them at the same time.' Mia who still was a problem solver spoke in her usual serene voice. As she took the glass she chose.

'Cheers!' Dax said and they all clashed plastic glasses before the cool lemonade went down their throats. After they felt refreshed enough Dax continued reading from the part where he'd left it off (it was easy to find it since he'd left a book mark there).

'**For a while, Dax kept his mind off the bottle and its contends of almost certainly not lemonade, by doing little drawings of a fox on the chipboard floor of the shed with a bit of old red brick.**

'**The fox stood, with one paw raised, bushy tail out straight, its furry neck craned round and its sharp nose pointing back over its shoulder, as if suddenly called by someone. It wasn't bad. Dax was quite a good artist. His teacher said he should try for an art school one day.**'

'Aw…' Jennifer cooed, '… why didn't you?'

'Probably because of the Dragon Lady.' Gideon said with a scoff.

'**Gina had snorted when she'd heard that.**'

'Surprise. Surprise.' Gideon sang.

'**As far as she was concerned, Dax was going to stop sponging and start working for his keep as soon as he turned sixteen—And I actually am now—. The world had enough charcoal drawings of boats and oil paintings of eagles, thanks very much!**'

'What a selfish bitch!' Gideon swore and he rarely swore.

'Oh well Dax got into something better than an art school.' Barry smiled.

'Yea. He got into a school for half alien kids.' Lisa said. 'By the way aren't we still the only people that know about this?'

'I think so.' Spook said. 'Sartre did not want us telling the others.'

'**The fox looked and looked, back over its shoulder. Dax stared hard at it, ignoring the little sploshes of sweat that were now dripping off his face.**

'**He felt his eyeballs getting hot, he stared so hard. The fox began to slide across the woodchip. It slithered, quivered, waved in the heat haze, seemed to flick its eye back towards Dax. In the distance, he could hear a fox bark, high and shrill. Through the gap in the planks at the back end of the shed, that acid stink of wild dog pulsed through on a drought.**'

'Yes! He's shape shifting!' Spook exclaimed.

'No. No he can't be!' Gideon insisted.

'Oh you're losing!'

'No. No. No.' Gideon kept on shaking his head. _Praying_ that Dax wouldn't shapeshift.

'**Dazed and drugged by the heat and smell and the brick outline of the fox that waved and shimmied across the floor, Dax suddenly snapped his head up in a panic.'—Dax took a brief pause to take a sip from his refilled glass of lemonade—'The air felt hot and thick in his throat. He dug his fingers hard into the chunk of brick, trying to ward off the panic, but it just kept rising. He had to get a drink. He **_**had**_** to**!

'**Madly, stupidly, Dax leaped up and lunged at the high wooden shelf.'**

'That was pretty stupid.' Clive said.

'I know.' Dax agreed bitterly.

'**One of the green dusty bottles fell on his nose, sending a bullet of coppery taste to the back of his throat.**'

'Ouch.' Gideon made a face.

'I didn't care much about the pain. I had bigger problems.'

'**A large, dead spider, folded into a crunchy spinning wheel, fell on the redbrick fox with a papery thud. Dax thought, oddly, of brazil nuts.**'

'Where did that come from?' Spook asked. Gideon began to snicker. Dax sighed, his best friend out of all the things he could reminisce had chosen the story he had told him four years ago. The rest of the people just stared at Gideon puzzled.

'**Even as these things happened, his hands fumbled across to the white glass bottle, with the faded lemonade label, and were twisting the dusty screw cap off the top. It was on tight… maybe it was fresh, unopened, wet sweet lemonade!**'

'You wish Dax.' Lisa shook her head in disbelief.

'**It would be hot,**—'

'It would be more than 'hot'. It would be _poison_!' Jacob chuckled.

'**But it would be wet. It would be a drink.**

'**At the third twist, the loose metal ring beneath the cap scored a fine cut into Dax's right palm, and then the top gave. The bottle made a small popping noise, as if it was, indeed, full of lemonade. But the hot scent it punched up into the air was not lemonade. It was white spirit.**'

'Oh _shit_!' Gideon swore. 'Oh good motherly hens!'

The others shushed him but they all were as nervous as he was.

'**It hit Dax right between the eyes, making them water and his nose fill up with an unbearable tickling sensation. An unexpectedly forceful sob came out along with his sneeze. He dropped the bottle, and the smell of the white spirit rose like an evil gas, cutting across every other scent in the shed. The spirit that hit the bottom of his jeans felt at first shockingly cool, and then began to get warmer and warmer.**

'**Dax felt dizzy and sick. He knew he was going to faint when a sound like taps being turned on to their fullest swept into his head. His last thought before he fell was that he ought to get his nose out of the gap, to get to fresh air. Or he would possibly never wake up again.**'

Dax stopped reading. 'Well that's it for the first chapter.'

'Wait so you didn't Shapeshift! Man that's sweet!' Gideon celebrated.

'I actually did.' Dax said. Gideon's jaw dropped at that. 'At the last paragraph.'

'You owe me Reader.' Spook grinned toothily. Gideon groaned, the Cola allowance was the only money Gideon had. 'Oh well, guess I'll call the bet off. Since I don't rob underprivileged people.' The illusionist declared. Even though he tried —I'll say it again— _tried_ to not let it on the illusionist had become nicer as he matured. Gideon sighed in relief, his money was safe.

'Well who's reading the next chapter?' Mia asked.

'Gid?' Dax offered yet his telekinetic friend shook his head.

'I'll read.' Clive volunteered and Dax handed the book over to him in response.

'Oh goody. We're having Spock to read us a story.' Lisa said cynically.

* * *

_A/N: I don't know where the idea to make Clive read second came from maybe it was because he was introduced next? And just to reassure you guys I'm not going by any order at all. _

_Who was surprised when Gideon refused to read? (I was)_

_Yes I made Spook nice so what? He's sixteen now he should know better than to hold pointless grudges. Besides he can even make Dax see his illusions now (even though they look like holograms) and that is something! _

_Hope you like the story so far even though it's only one chapter so far._

_Well so long People _

_One and Only _

_Vayla Evans7_

_-o^.^o-_


	3. Reading Chapter 2

_**Vayla**__: Okay people so I have decided to have one of my conversation theme going on here as well since a lot of people seems to read this story (in my opinion at least). _

_**Kit**__: This is where I come in! Hey people! Vayla here as officially introduced me into the Shapeshifter series and all I could say is that I love it! I'm almost finished with the first book and I have decided to help her with this Fanfiction story going on._

_**Vayla**__: I kind of insisted on it but that is fine…_

_**Kit**__: By the way I must tell you that I absolutely detest Spook._

_(Vayla gasps as she turns to Kit with horrified eyes.)_

_**Vayla**__: WHAT?_

_**Kit**__: Look I tried to like him. I seriously tried. But I couldn't. He's such an arse._

_**Vayla**__: Don't talk to me. I don't know you! Okay guys on with the story!_

_**Kit**__: Enjoy._

_**Vayla**__: (murmurs) That was my line._

_-o^.^o-_

* * *

—Reading Chapter 2—

Clive held the book in his hands as he stared at the audience, waiting for them to be dead silent. When the room was satisfyingly quiet Clive began.

'**Chapter Two.**

'**Outside the little shed were eight or nine unevenly laid paving slabs.**'

'Wait! Did we like skip a chapter or something?' Barry asked. Clive shook his head. 'That is completely irrelevant to what's going on now! What happened to Dax?'

'If you stay quiet we'll find out!' Clive snapped.

'**They were big and dull grey, with tiny crumbly pyramids made by ants poking up here and there in the gaps between them. The ants were the only interesting thing about the slabs of concrete. Alice occasionally burned them to death with her magnifying glass.**'

'Wow! Who'd expect that from the pink girl?' Jacob exclaimed with rather amusement.

'**In the October afternoon, as the sun was slowly beginning to sink in the sky and the midges had begun their teatime dance, daintily bouncing up and down in their little clouds over the compost heap, it began to rain. The cool drops hitting the warm pavement slabs made a pleasing pit-a-pat sound, Dax thought dreamily, his snout**—clearly he's in a fox form—** right out of the gap in the wooden planks at the back of the shed. The ants were completely panicked, as a polka-dot pattern spread across the grey concrete plains between their crumbly earth pyramids.**'

'Seriously who cares about the ants? They're completely irrelevant to the topic here.' Lisa pouted.

'**Soon all the dots were joining up and the paving slabs were a darker grey, with a damp sheen to it, they smelt like hot paving stone tea. They smelt of 'end of playtime'. All the children in the street, one by one, would be called indoors, like the ants**—'

'Enough with the ants.' Lisa said. 'It was the peat bags in the first chapter and now it's the ants.'

'Lisa would you stop interrupting whenever you hear something about the ants.' Clive said.

'Whatever you say Spock.'

'—**Which were now frenziedly bolting down the holes between the tiny chunks of earth-boulder that made their shaky pyramids homes.**

'**These thoughts rose up and spread across Dax's mind in a pleasant, warm drift as he woke. He realised that the evil vapour of the white spirit inside the shed had gone. Or perhaps it was because he **_**had**_** managed to get his face to the gap he'd fallen. No— he'd done better than that: his whole **_**head**_** was outside the shed. Blimey. How had he managed **_**that**_**?**'

'Seriously mate you could be a little slow at times.' Gideon spoke sympathetically.

'Give me a break I just woke up.' Dax defended himself. 'Go on Clive.'

'**Carefully, he pulled his head back in and looked back over his furry red shoulder. The shed was definitely **_**taller**_** than he thought it had been. One thing hadn't changed though. He was still desperately thirsty and, now, even more desperately hungry.**'

'Okay people, before Dax mentions his desperate hunger, my kitchen scavengers and I have an announcement to make.' Jacob declared. 'We're not scraping off food from the kitchen.'

Oh Dax was sure that there would be no chance of that happening after the upcoming events.

'**He could smell something like brazil nuts.**'

'Why would they keep brazil nuts in a shed?' asked a baffled Barry. Gideon began to laugh out hysterically. 'And what's with _him_?'

'Gideon, please. Don't ruin it for them.' Dax requested and Gideon quietened his laugh with great force. Clive gave him a one last look of confusion along with the others and then continued to read.

'**Ah. There it was—little wheel thing on the floor.'**—Gideon began to laugh silently, having trouble to breathe—'**Dax scooped it up on his tongue and flicked it back into his mouth, munching it down in a couple of seconds.**'

'Wait. Wasn't that wheelie thing the—? Oh my God! Dax! Euw!' Lisa gave Dax a scolding look and Dax felt his face go red.

'What?' Spook said considering what Lisa had just said. Then it suddenly dawned on him. 'Euurgh! Dingo! Are you serious? A—that is way past my teasing levels! I officially disown you as a cousin!' Spook said. Most of the audience could pick up the last part as a joke, although they still didn't get the disgusting part of the paragraph.

'**Yep. Very like a papery brazil nut.**'

'You're a sick person.' Gideon, Lisa and Spook said in unison.

'**He paused. Looked down at his feet and then, before he would allow the really **_**BIG**_** thought through into his head—the thought which had been hammering at a window in his mind with increasing alarm ever since he'd woken up—Dax thought on **_**this**_**.**'

'Oh and you finally realise it!' Spook pointed out.

'Hey it is in a fox's natural diet! I researched afterwards!' Dax said offended.

'What? Brazil nuts?' Darren asked. Yet as a reply Spook just shook his head.

'You take it too literal Darren.' Lisa said with sympathy.

'_**I…**_** he thought to himself, **_**…have just, willingly—and with some enjoyment— eaten**_—'

'Oh so you enjoyed it?' Lisa said pointedly. Dax felt like a dog being scolded over chewed shoes. He bent his head down and confessed.

'Yes.'

'I don't get it what has he eaten?' Jennifer asked.

'_**A dead spider.**_'

'Euurgh!' the rest of them exclaimed all except for Luke who simply wrote on his white board with his neat handwriting, which said the following words:

_How did it taste like?_

'As it said in the book, brazil nuts.' Dax said and Luke confirmed it by nodding his head.

'**A flicker of horror ran up inside of Dax's spine, hitting his throat making him cough and choke, and then splitting up and shuddering off each of his limbs and up the back of his neck. The thick hair there was standing on the end.**'

'I wonder what you were thinking at the time.' Alex said in wonder.

'I bet he's freaking out.' His brother pointed out. Alex agreed with him. 'But I wonder when he will actually realise that he had shape shifted.'

'Well let's see.' Dax smiled as he signalled Clive to read on.

'_**Oh—eugh! Eugh! NO!**_** Dax spluttered. A spider! A **_**spider**_**? What on earth had made him do **_**that**_**?**'

'Told you so.' Jacob smiled in victory.

'**Worse still was the thought that, if there had been another paper spider wheel on the floor—or even a **_**living**_** one, trotting across it—he'd eat that too.**'

'Are you serious? Tell me you're not serious.' Lisa said in horror.

'I was serious there.' Dax confessed.

'**It didn't taste at all bad, and he was a very hungry boy.**'

'Boy? Dax I think you should realise that you are not a boy.' Clive pointed out as he paused reading.

'Just read on.' Dax said.

'**Now the **_**BIG**_** thought demanded, quite crossly, to have the window opened and be let in. 'Aha! But you,' it said sarcastically, 'are **_**not**_** a boy. Are you?'**'

'I like Dax's BIG thought.' Gideon said with a smile.

'Yes. He's very much logical isn't he Gideon?' Barry said pointedly.

'I hope he notices it by now.' Spook said. 'Because if he doesn't then I will begin to doubt his IQ levels.'

'**Dax pulled the hot air in quickly through his snout and did a little sideways dance of shock. It was true enough.**'

'Hallelujah Dax! God has finally granted you with brains!' Spook said dramatically and Dax made a face. 'Oh come on! You know that I'm only kidding dingo.'

'You still went too far there.' Dax said with a faked sniff.

'Oh I'm sorry.' Spook said keeping up the faked drama.

'Okay you two. Take the sentimental family moments outside.' Lisa said. 'Read on Spock!' Clive squinted his eyes in distaste, but read on.

'**His face was long and pointed. His nose glistening black, with a delicate spray of black whiskers on either side. The fur around them was white, and Dax could see, before he went cross-eyed, that it turned to a rich red brown further up his snout. He could feel the way his long tongue settled comfortably between sharp teeth. He used it to test how pointed his fangs were. Whoa! They were pretty impressive.**

'**His feet—well, what **_**had**_** been his hands and feet—were now four paws, with small black claws, scratching slightly on the wooden floor of the shed. The rust-red fur darkened to a deep brown as it went down to his legs and almost to black on his feet. He lifted one paw to see the underside of his new feet. Fleshy pads—black tinged with pink—were fringed with his darkest fur, the black nails curving up from the edges of them into refined points. He flexed them and they moved fluidly, luxuriously.**'

'Okay…' Lisa began. 'I'm actually imagining an actual fox doing these stuff. And the outcome is just—'

'Weird?' Spook suggested.

'Cute.' Lisa finished, 'and yes a little weird too but overall it seems just adorable.'

'**A rustling noise behind him made him jump again—he rose high off his feet, so much lighter than Dax the boy.**'

'I must point out the fact here that you're enjoying to be an animal more than you enjoy being human.' Spook said, furrowing his brows.

'Well I felt much more free as an animal, you know more special. Whilst as a human I felt very dull and ordinary.' Dax replied deprecatingly.

'**Snapping his head round, he saw immediately, and with some pride, the source of the noise. Brushing against some old paper was the most glorious, thick, bushy fox tail.**'

'Who'd feel proud about a _tail_?' Spook asked. 'I'd be freaking out.'

'Actually I believe that was his animal instincts playing. You see to a fox its tail might just be the source of its pride.' Clive said.

'No I think that was my human side thinking.' Dax spoke.

'Oh…' Clive sighed, he clearly still did not liked to be wrong about something and then read on.

'**Its fur graduated from deep red-brown to pale orange and almost white at the tip. Dax gazed at it in wonder, waving it gently from the strong muscle at the rump for a full minute.**'

'By the way, how did you learn to wag your tail so quickly?' Gideon asked. Dax fell into deep thoughts. He honestly did not know Ali Sparkes had asked him the same question during the interview that he could slightly remember. He had told her that he had no idea.

'I guess it just came by instinct.' Dax said with a shrug. Gideon gave him an unsatisfied look but nodded at the end.

'**It was a bit of a shock, he told himself, to discover unexpectedly that you were a fox. Pretty shocking to find that you could eat dead spiders (or live ones) too.**'

At that very moment Spook smacked the wooden floor and picked up a dead and slightly out of shape spider. Everyone tried to reassure that it wasn't one of his illusions. And it most definitely was not an illusion. Dax could smell its brazil nut like scent from where he was sitting. Spook waved the dead spider towards Dax with an irritating grin.

'You know you want it…' he jeered, '… admit it. Just the sight of it makes you hungry doesn't it?'

Dax did not answer that question, because he knew that it would earn him a full week of teasing about spiders.

'Spook, just flick it away.' Jacob said but even he was stifling his laughs.

'It was a spider I ate four years ago! No need to overreact over that!' Dax declared strong and confident.

'Well Daxerella, it was in your digestive system and you had eaten it.' Spook began his explanation, 'and mind you no one would want a friend who eats spiders and other insects.'

'Spiders aren't _insects_.' Clive suddenly broke in. He had a habit of correcting people. 'They're _arachnids_.'

'My point is.' Spook gave Clive a warning glare. 'That it _is_ a big deal and I _should_ overreact over the concern of your reputation, because we are family and family help each other out!'

'_Or_ you need to concern over my reputation because since we are related staining my reputation would also mean staining _your_ reputation.' Dax said arching an eyebrow. A long silence of consideration followed, and finally Spook said with a nod.

'That too.' Everyone laughed at him for saying that, 'but let's just keep the 'family support' reason for now.'

'I don't care what anyone says. Luke and I still share the best family support.' Gideon said with pride.

'At least you're better than me at something. Oh wait— two things.' Spook said.

'What's the second?' Gideon asked.

'Eating inhumanly amounts of chocolate.' Spook stated. 'Seriously how can you eat so much sweets? I can only force down two scoops of ice cream down my throat.'

'Do you dislike it that much?' Gideon asked in a shocked tone.

'Let's put it this way do you know how most mothers try to keep kids away from desserts? Mine _forced_ me to finish my dessert when I was younger.'

'No wonder why you're so dull.' Gideon said.

'I'm not dull! If I were dull I would not be teasing. Reader.' Spook said pointedly.

'That is exactly what a dull person would say.' Gideon said with a voice barely above a whisper.

'Okay I lost the plot here.' Darren shook his head in confusion. 'We started off by Dax eating the… you-know-what. And then we moved onto family support. Then came the sweets conversation and now we are arguing about whether Spook's dull or not. I don't know about you guys but that does not make sense to me.' Everyone around him looked at him, they clearly were paying attention to him more because the other illusionist unlike his talkative friend rarely spoke and even more rarely presented his opinion about something.

'Darren has just made a really productive statement there.' Clive said. 'This truly does not add up. So I suggest we go on back to the story.'

'So what are you waiting for Clive? Read!' Barry demanded. Clive gave his best friend a look of disapproval but read on.

'**Strangely, though, he didn't feel sick or panicky any more. He felt heck of a lot better than he had half an hour ago, when he'd been a boy.**'

'Ah… I should call you back into the reality Dax. You are after all human.' Gideon pointed out.

'Look it felt pretty cool okay?' Dax replied.

'**Every part of his body seemed vital and alive; he could **_**feel**_** the taut, lean muscles in his limbs, working smoothly as he turned around in the small wooden hut. He felt well-oiled, slick and healthy.**

'**His hearing was amazing; he could make out a dozen different things at once: the gentle patter of the rain on the shed roof was woven into the flutter of small birds in the shrubs; the drone of several different types of insects dodging the water drops; and the far-off hum and clatter of human life… cars, children, washing machines, and TVs, Dax could hear it all.**'

'Okay that is pretty cool.' Lisa admitted.

'I find it rather infuriating. I would not want some dingo to know what I'm doing.' Spook said.

'Aww… is Small Spencer jealous?' Lisa asked, with a mocking voice.

'Pfft! No! I'm happy with my ability thanks very much! By the way would you get over that I know I was a snob when I was twelve but I couldn't have been that bad! Right?' Spook declared yet he was uncertain at the end of his sentence.

'We'll see Spence.'

'And it's Spook to _you_!'

'Get over it Spook… she's been calling you that for the last three years.' Gideon grinned.

'**And his already sharp sense of smell was quite incredible. He could smell **_**everything**_**.**'

The group except Clive snorted a laugh at the emphasis on the word 'everything', clearly dirty minds were at works.

'Grow up.' Clive sighed. '**The creosote on the wood in the shed mingled with the last traces of the white spirit, the dust, the damp, mildewy**—again that is not a word—**creases of the sunshade, folded up like a large green and white bat in the corner, unused for weeks (it had been a wet summer), the rain on the hot paving stones, the ash from last week's bonfire, even now transforming into a gluey black puddle behind the shed, someone's curry, cooking in a nearby kitchen, the sickly, yet somehow **_**golden**_** smell of the big communal bins over in the yard that the houses in their street backed on to.**'

'How can the scent of garbage be '_golden_'?' Mia asked furrowing her brows.

'I bet he's going to eat something from there.' Spook said with a smirk. Dax tried not to show any reaction of sort to that statement.

'By the way weren't you hungry from where we left off?' Alex asked.

'Yea Dax what happened did the spider fill you up?' Jacob joined his brother.

'**This smell suddenly made him aware again how hungry and thirsty he was.**'

'Okay he's aware of it. That's good.' Barry said.

'**Fine, thought Dax. I'm a fox.**'—Spook began clapping sarcastically—'**I'll think about **_**why**_** later.**'

'Most people think about that first Dax.' Jennifer stated.

'But I'm not a _person_ at the moment. Now am I?' Dax said.

'Yea Jenny, besides there seems to be more important things for Dax to worry about at the moment.' Jacob said.

'**Right now, there are more important things to see to. Quickly, he turned and headed for the gap again. His hearing was picking up the faintest movements around him in the shed, and his sharp snout was getting that nutty smell again.**'

'Seems like you haven't had enough spiders yet.' Jacob snickered.

'**The boy Dax, inside of fox Dax, made a decision. No more spiders. Get out now before the fox Dax overruled him and licked up a few of those spindly ones that always crouch and shiver in the corners.**

'**His whiskers, grazing the edges of the broken plank hole, told him he **_**could**_** squeeze through—just. Partly through instincts and partly through a dim memory of his book of English mammals (long gone to the jumble sale),**'

'Get over it! It's long gone.' Spook said.

'**He knew that his whiskers were like a measuring device. If they could clear a gap, so could the rest of him.**'

'Ah… now things are getting interesting!' Gideon said sounding quite pleased. 'He's going to get out.'

'**Dax paused at the hole. His sharp senses told him there were plenty of humans about, but not in this garden. He lowered his head and pushed through. The rest of his sleek body lowered, stretched, and followed without a struggle. He was out.**'

'Yay!' Everyone said in unison and quietly cheered for Dax.

'**A cool gust of wind and a spatter of rain ruffled the fur around his eyes. He looked quickly from left to right and then shot down the garden where it ended in a low brambly hedge. Fortunately, the hedge backed partly on to the yard containing the communal bins, and partly on to the perimeter of some wasteland which sloped down to the local allotments. The allotments gave on to a small corpse. He slid under the hedge and viewed his options. To his right was the wasteland—a bare two or three hundred metres to run across until he reached the cover of the allotments and the corpse beyond. To his left were the large overflowing communal bins.'**

'The communal bins seem very suspicious.' Mia said deep in thoughts. 'It's as if you're planning to eat from them.' She turned to Dax. Dax held himself from giving any reaction, to his friend's assumptions.

'I wouldn't be surprised if he did.' Spook scoffed.

'Nah… Dax wouldn't go that far.' Barry said.

'Yea. Totally. Mmmhm. I'll try to believe that.' Spook said. sarcasm was transparent in his voice.

'**The stench of these bins, at this end of the week, just before the bin men came on Monday, was thick and heavy. Gina often complained**—'

'Of course she did.' Alex said. 'It apparently is her profession.'

'**To the council about it. Dax was aware of the stench, but this time it was different.**'

'What do you mean 'different'?' Mia asked doubtfully.

'**It was revolting, yes, but at the same time—**_**golden**_**.**'

'What did I say?' Spook said raising his hands up in the air. No one had a comment. 'That's right!'

'**Filled with promise.**'

'Interesting choice of words to describe trash Dax. Golden? Filled with promise?' Lisa said pointedly.

'**Dax knew that it was full of food. Ld biscuits, bread, cold, squashed tea bags curled into half full packets of damp crisps, bacon rind, apple cores, the ketchup-soaked ends of fish fingers spat out by toddlers, the lard-lined corners of empty corned-beef cans, sticky spare ribs and chicken—oh—above all **_**chicken**_**.**'

'You're making me hungry Dax…' Barry moaned.

'We're not going to the kitchen again.' Alex, Jacob and Spook said in unison.

'Oh come on scavengers! Just once more?' Barry pleaded.

'Nu-uh! Never again…' Jacob said. '…Well maybe if we're desperately hungry. But not now. It's too soon, we'll get noticed.'

'**Somewhere, quite near the surface, he could smell fried chicken, the kind that's dipped in breadcrumbs and a top secret blend of herbs and spices.**'

'More commonly known as Kentucky Fried Chicken!' Gideon beamed.

'Never had those…' Mia said. '… Just the smell of them makes me sick.'

'Wait. Dax you can smell the herbs right?' Spook asked. He sounded like a great idea had just hit him.

'Yes. I mean most of them.' Dax replied. 'Why?'

'My God! Why haven't you thought about this before?'

'What?'

'You can figure out the secret recipe!' Spook said almost as if it was the biggest concern in his life.

'What are you ten?' Lisa asked as she shook her head in disbelief.

'No. No. No. Think about the headlines. 'The Secret Recipe Figured Out by Twelve Teenagers.' We'll be all over the world! And most importantly _famous_!' Spook said enthusiastically. Everyone shook their heads in disbelief, clearly old habits were hard to kill.

'_**Chicken…**_** in those bins wasn't rubbish at all. It was **_**treasure**_**.**

'**But there was a more urgent need.** **First he **_**had**_** to get a drink. His fox tongue was curling inside his mouth, dry and rasping. A muddy ditch hemmed the edge of the wasteland and he could smell water pooled there, distinct from the smell of the rain.**'

'Let me guess that is where you'll get a drink from?' Spook said with arched eyebrows.

'**Decided, he crawled out to his right and trotted swiftly along, keeping low and close to the hedge. Within seconds he'd found an old tyre, up-ended in the ditch with a glinting black well of water resting in its curve. The water tasted better than it smelt.**'

'You know you went against the whole law of human anatomy where the nasal system is connected to your sense of taste?' Clive said. everyone just stared at him blankly. They were already tired from staying up late they possibly could not take another scientific explanation of his. Clive sighed and simplified his statement.

'You know… a food tastes the same way it smells.' Everyone made a sound of realisation. Clive went on.

'**Dax lapped up nearly all of it, ignoring one or two insects struggling on its surface. The aftertaste of burnt rubber wasn't great, but it was such a relief to get some water into his parched body that Dax didn't care.**

'**The light was fading fast now, which made him feel easier. There didn't seem to be anybody about anyway, but Dax the fox's instincts told him the darker it was, the safer it was. He glanced around the familiar patch of wasteland, which seemed now so different, and seeing nobody, skirted the hedge back towards the bins.**'

'Dinnertime huh?' Spook smiled mockingly.

'Correction.' Dax held up his index finger in a lecturing form. '_Tea_time.'

'**A small mountain of refuse, in black bin bags, in boxes, or in super market carrier bags, rose up unsteady slope to the mouth of the bins. The three huge grey metal cylinders were topped with heavy black plastic flip lids, which were almost never shut. Far too much rubbish was stuffed into the bins for the lids to ever close, so people just dumped their bin bags, boxes, and carriers on the sticky concrete around them, until the mountain rose high enough to meet the lip of each container.**'

'Okay no offence Dax but your neighbourhood truly is nasty.' Lisa said as she screwed her face up to imply on her disgust.

'I know…' Dax said, '…but it does have some advantages.'

'Like?'

'Like how he can get his food whenever he wants.' Spook said pointedly.

'He does have a point there you know.' Gideon said.

'You just shut up.' Lisa glowered at him.

'**It was perfect. Dax nimbly scaled the mountain to the top of the nearest bin and began to scrabble at the peak. His sharp claws cut easily through a bulging plastic sack, causing a small eruption of potato peelings, baked beans, and two pink-spattered yoghurt pots. Underneath them, though—treasure! The red and white stripes of the box confirmed what his clever nose had told him—fried chicken! Dax seized the box in his jaws and carried it back down the rubbish mountain, sliding gently in a slick of melted ice cream.**'

'Who'd be stupid enough to dump ice cream?' Gideon asked with disbelief. 'There must be some disturbed people in your neighbourhood.'

'In a second he was back under the bush and tearing through the cardboard.

'**In the unlikely event that Dax ever got to eat fried chicken takeaway, he knew that you had to pick at it carefully with your fingers and teeth, avoiding the knuckles of the bones and the dark, greasy undercarriage of the ribs. He recoiled from the skin and the pink, stretchy veins. There would usually be a lemon-scented wet wipe to clean yourself up afterwards.**'

'God Dax please tell me you weren't that hygienic with chicken.' Jacob said.

'Listen to the story.'

'**Dax the fox didn't care about such delicate ways.**'

'Oh that's good.' Alex confirmed with a nod. 'It would've looked strange to see a fox picking out the bones of chicken and only eating the meat.

'**The bones, still laden with plenty of meat, were in his mouth instantly. His teeth and tongue worked in an impressive partnership with his paws, shearing off the meat and breadcrumbs, working down the drumsticks until they were clean, and then depositing them back on the thin cardboard.**'

'What an environmentalist you are Daxerella.' Spook gave Dax a cynical pat on the back. 'Aren't you a good dog? Do you want a spider for treats? Huh?' He mocked as if he were talking to a dog that was going through is training process.

'**There were four pieces. They were finished within three minutes.**

'**Panting slightly, after the frenzy of eating, Dax checked to see if anyone had noticed him. Still no one about. The water and the chicken were working through his system already and he felt fantastic. But still a little hungry.**'

'You had four pieces of chicken and you're still hungry?' Mia shook her head in disbelief.

'No offence Dax but you were being a glutton.' Lisa added onto Mia's comment.

'Hey! I deserved the food.' Dax reminded them. 'I was starving.'

'**The rain had stopped now, but in the last of the day's light, Dax could see in the ditch below him a number of subterranean dwellers, lured to the surface by the rhythm of the shower. Dax the boy started to protest, but Dax the fox paid him no heed. Stretching forward on to his forepaws, his legs and rump still undercover of the hedge, he used the row of small incisors between his fangs to gently tug on the biggest of the worms.**'

'Euurgh! Dax!' Everyone exclaimed. 'You just had a fine meal of chicken you pig!'

'Hey I tried to stop my fox self. Yet he didn't listen to me, so technically it was not my choice.' Dax defended himself.

'**It pulled, stretched like a thick pink rubber band, and then, as he waggled it gently from side to side, more pink, smooth flesh extended out of the loose, wet earth. As its tail finally broke through the soil, it pinged wetly against his nose, curling up frenziedly, before Dax gulped it down. It tasted a bit like raw mushroom, with a bitter edge.**'

'I really hope that was your first and last eaten worm.' Mia said looking like she was going to be sick.

'**He went on, methodically harvesting the worms from the soil. After the fourth or fifth, there seemed to be no more. He felt better still. Better? He felt amazing!**'

'Clearly it wasn't his last.' Jacob said in a mocking tone.

'**After another quick glance to be sure nobody was looking, Dax tensed his muscular haunches, and then launched himself forward and began to run across the wasteland, making for the allotments and the corpse beyond.**' Clive lifted his head up and stretched up. 'That's it for the second chapter.' He said. 'Who's reading now?'

'Let's pick a random person.' Gideon offered, soon he was analysing the people in the room with his green eyes.

'But before picking out people shouldn't we ask for volunteers?' Darren asked.

'Okay Darren you're reading.' Gideon declared. Darren sighed, but did not protest. He might've as well get it over and done with.

_**

* * *

**_

Kit

_: Hurray! We're done!_

_**Vayla**__: Not really we need to start the next chapter now._

_**Kit**__: You mean: you need to start the next chapter now. I don't write in this Fanfiction story. I'm only the commentary. Remember?_

_**Vayla**__: Okay so the chapter itself has only 4 997 words. Hmmm... Last chapter was longer._

_**Kit**__: Argh! Who cares? Sometimes simple is best! _

_**Vayla**__: Thanks Kit. Oh and I'd also like to thank __**goodythreeshoes**__, __**Beth**__ and __**FreeCopyPapers**__ for reviewing my story! Thanks guys!_

_**Kit**__: Are you done?_

_**Vayla**__: And also I would like to remind you that I own neither the Shapeshifter series nor Kentucky Fried Chicken. If did own Kentucky Fried Chicken I'd be generous enough to share my recipe with other cooks! Not keep it all to myself..._

_**Kit**: Okay guys I get the feeling Vayla's just going to keep on blabbering. So see you all for (hopefully) next chapter!_

_**Vayla**: Goodbye! _

_-o^.^o- _


	4. Reading Chapter 3

_**Vayla**__: Okay so I decided to start chapter three now for my readers who are probably impatient._

_**Kit**__: There aren't that many of them anyways._

_**Vayla**__: Ignore her. So well here's the third chapter being read by Darren. Kit doesn't know who he is right now. She'll figure out later on._

_**Kit**__: I already know you told me the whole concept of the book before you invited me into your gay Fanfiction story._

_**Vayla**__: Gay? Excuse me! But I don't write gay stories! They're all right stories._

_**Kit**__: They're gay._

_**Vayla**__: Reader's like them! I even got reviews on this story._

_**Kit**__: None of your stories have passed the review mark of 20. They do suck._

_**Vayla**__: That was a bit too harsh there Kit. You hurt my feelings. *Fakes two sniffs* I'm gonna go now._

_**Kit**__: Write the chapter before you leave!_

_**Vayla**__: Fine! I shall commence writing! _

* * *

—Reading Chapter 3—

Darren had the book in his hand and was analysing the page before he began reading. Dax had never seen him read, even during classes. When Darren felt confident enough he began reading.

'**As the tall grass flicked away madly in front of him, Dax sprinted like a bullet across the wasteland. Each paw seemed to push the earth away and send him on a split-second flight with every stride. The evening air whipped into his ears, rippling the soft white fur inside them and pressed his black whiskers into his face.**'

'Okay Dax, you might call me an arsehole for ruining your simulated fun, but I would like to emphasise that you've completely forgotten about Gina.' Clive said pointedly.

'Yeah mate. The dragon lady will be back anytime.' Alex added.

'Oh no, trust me I've got everything under control.' Dax said calmly.

'Sure you do…' Lisa said sardonically.

'**He deftly leapt over all obstacles: tussocks of weed growing around the chunks of rough concrete that littered the ground; rolls of rusty chicken-wire fencing; empty paraffin cans; and the wheel robbed skeletons of abandoned bikes.**'

'Okay the wasteland is starting to freak me out.' Jennifer said sternly.

'Everything freaks you out Jenny.' Lisa said solemnly. Jennifer was not exactly Lisa's friend, and her attitude sometimes pressed on the blonde's nerves. Especially her attitude near boys, more particularly around Dax. Not that Lisa liked him in _that_ way. But it was irritating to see Jennifer act so clumsy and innocent near the shapeshifter.

'Okay let's get on with the book.' Gideon said to the girls who were exchanging threatening glares.

'**At the edge of the allotments he slowed and pricked his ears forward. There was every possibility that some gardener would still be toiling on his vegetable patch.**'

'See? I got everything under control as I've stated before.' Dax said again but feeling more confident this time due to the proof that was ready to back him up.

'Sure you do...' Lisa repeated without any improvements to her tone whatsoever.

'**Not at this end, though. Further away there was at least one. The smell of human seemed as sharp and distinctive to Dax the fox as the smell of fox once had been to Dax the boy.**'

'By the way why aren't you freaking out? You know like the common thoughts of 'will I be stuck like this forever'? Didn't you worry at all?' Barry asked.

'Not really, no. It felt too amazing for me to worry about my human self.' Dax replied.

'**Keeping low, he edged swiftly along a row of small sheds, past a netting cage protecting some late raspberries, ducked beneath a water butt raised on bricks, and shot across into the deep wiry grass that rose up at the allotment boundary, in the shadow of the corpse. Only when he felt the spongy porridge of the woodland floor did Dax slow down. He was panting and exhilarated. It was like the king of dream that leaves you smiling and with tears in your eyes when you wake. Except that he **_**was**_** awake. He had never felt more awake.**'

'Are you sure you don't want to bite yourself to double check?' Spook asked mockingly.

'Spencer, do give your extraordinary talent of mockery a rest for a minute. Will you?' Lisa complained.

'_No_.' Spook said furrowing his brows. 'Maybe I would if you stopped calling me by my name.'

'No can do.' Lisa said raising her hand up with a pose of ultimate rejection.

'**Feeling much safer in the damp warmth of the little wood, Dax sat down, resting his rump comfortably on the peaty earth and curling his fabulous bushy tail around to tickle his forepaws. He knew he should try to work out what this was all about.**'

'Oh I can easily accomplish that. You see Dax Jones—' Jacob began.

'We need duct tape in this room to shut some of us up.' Lisa said addressing a warning glare to the people who had the highest rank of interrupting the story.

'Oh come on Lees, we're having good fun.' Mia said calmly. Lisa seemed calmer due to her friend's request.

'Yeah Lees, don't you know how to enjoy yourself anymore?' Gideon added smugly.

'Don't press your luck Reader, or she will terminate you with her own hands.' Spook warned.

'Oh her psychic stuff doesn't freak _me_ out anymore. Moreover I think it's just _overrated_.' Gideon said Lisa shot him a look full of hatred. Yet Gideon just went on and on about how ordinary psychic gifts could be.

'She's glaring at you. She's glaring at you. She's glaring at you.' Alex repeated his warning over and over again.

Dax mouthed 'read on' to Darren and with a nod he began reading again.

'**He knew he should be feverishly wondering what was going to happen next.**'

'You're going to get enrolled in a school for Children of Limitless Abilities a.k.a. Colas' Spook said.

'Make awesome friends.' Gideon added.

'Fight psychotic villains.' Lisa noted.

'Lose about a hundred of your friends.' Barry noted.

'And then defeat the villains and live happily ever after.' Mia concluded cheerfully.

'You forgot the fact that he's going to read his life story again.' Clive noted.

'Oh yea, also that.' Everyone said in unison. Dax sweat dropped. This was truly going nowhere.

'**And yet now he'd had food and water and a fantastic flying run across the wasteland, awake as he' been just ten seconds ago, suddenly all he really wanted was to go to sleep.**'

'Ooh... bad idea Dax, bad idea.' Alex said with a gloomy tone.

'I know...' Dax said aware of his mistake back then.

'Wait you got caught for it?'

'No, but it was close.'

'**Nearby a fallen oak tree, a victim of the hurricane force winds which had pounded the country around the time he was born; so his dad had told him.**'

'Dum! Dum! Dum!' Jacob made a dramatic hymn.

'That's weird it was same with me.' Lisa said.

'Yea... me too.' Gideon said and his twin brother just nodded.

'It might be a Cola thing.' Spook said with a shrug. 'Just like the dying mothers.'

'Maybe so...' Barry nodded.

'**As Dax nestled into the hollow in the earth, dug out under one end of the log, he was already drifting away. In the upper layers of sleep, he heard his dad telling him, 'It was a dramatic time Dax. The wind—blimey—you should've heard the wins. It was wailing and tearing at the building, making the windows rattle and shake. Your mum didn't notice.**'

'Maybe because of the AGONY?' Lisa exclaimed. 'Geez I should've known that daftness was in your genetics Dax.'

'Hey he was telling me this when I was pretty young okay? You've no right to judge my dad like that!' Dax said.

'You mean the father who did not even give you a phone call while he gave Alice the Malice one every once a week? I think he could be judged.' Lisa said considerably.

'He was busy.' Dax replied.

'Sure he was. Believe what you want to believe.' Lisa waved him off.

'**She had enough problems bringing you into the world, but I'll never forget that wind.'**'

'Hold on for a second.' Jacob suddenly stopped the story. 'Alex, are you thinking what I'm thinking?'

'Well DUH!' Alex said reminding his brother of the telepathic bond between them.

'I think I know what you two are exactly thinking, and I'm thinking the same thing.' Spook said sounding a bit lost.

'I don't get it what are you thinking?' Gideon asked.

'This conversation has a lot of the word 'think' in it don't you think so Barry?' Clive asked his best friend.

'Yeah I think so.' Barry replied.

'Dax I —well we— think that,' Alex began.

'You were sort of given,' Jacob continued.

'The talk.' Spook finished off for them.

'What?' Dax said astonished.

'You heard us.' The three of them shrugged at the same time.

'I don't get how he is giving me 'the talk' by saying that my mother was bringing me into the world.'

'Hey, he's slightly revealing where you came from.' Alex pointed out. 'That is enough of a hint for a little innocent child like you.'

'Okay you're slightly right. Even though I didn't figure out the actual reason until I was past the age of ten.' Dax said.

'Wow.' Spook said with slight sympathy in his voice. 'You're one deluded child.'

'Let's just go on with the story.' Dax said crossly.

'Oh help1 Help! Foxy is cross with me.' Spook said faking an innocent fearful voice.

'That quote seems unusually familiar. It's peculiar.' Gideon said.

'Hey that rhymes! Familiar and peculiar.' Barry pointed out delightfully.

'Okay guys on with the story.' Clive said with a slight chuckle in his voice.

'**It was one of their favourite stories, shared very occasionally in the rare times they had alone together.**'

'Awww...' the group cooed in unison causing Dax to blush.

'**His father always told it as if it was the first time, his pale grey eyes fixed in the distance, remembering.**

''**And right after you were born, around three or four in the morning, it dropped—just like that! To nothing. It was so silent I could hear you breathing in your little plastic cot. I looked out of the window and there were trees down across the valley. The next day was really strange too. The sun came up red, like a blood orange, and the heat of that day was incredible. It was April, but it was hot enough for June. Weather phenomenon, they called it.'**'

'And you did not suspect _anything_?' Spook asked in disbelief.

'Did _you_?' Dax asked with a victorious smirk.

'Well no, because I did not have anyone to tell me my birth story. I was adopted. Remember?' The illusionist said arching an eyebrow.

'Oh... right.' Dax said his smirk gradually fading.

'**Dax, his ears still pricked on duty for any sound but the gentle movement of the woodland, felt himself slide down through another layer of sleep. He felt warm and contented and more at home under the log than he ever had in his little damp box of a bedroom.**'

'If you still feel that way, just so you would know, you can camp outside any time you want.' Alex said comfortingly as though he was a counsellor.

'**He was dimly aware of the soft, powdery smell of lilac. He knew it wasn't real; it was October, not April. But the smell came to him when he thought of his mother. It was her scent and one of the handful of things he remembered about her. He'd been only four when she died.**'

'Been there done that.' Gideon said coldly, and most of the Colas agreed with him, all looking extremely miserable.

'You guys should see your faces. You look as though all the joy in this has been tormented.' Spook said with slight mockery although most knew that it was again one of his slightly offensive jokes to enlighten the dark mood in the room. Lisa could not restrain herself from snapping.

'Shut it, Spencer! Just because you were adopted and don't have a single memory of your _real_ parents doesn't give you the right to tease us about ours.' Lisa hissed and Spook looked slightly offended at that. But he did not make any comments for the first time.

'Chill Lees,' Gideon said sounding vaguely fearful, 'he was only joking.'

'It was _not_ funny.' Lisa said holding back not to raise her voice too much. 'Seriously he's humour is getting out of hand.'

'Calm the heck down, it's not like I directly insulted your parents.'

'No but you insulted our condition!'

'It was just a joke!'

'Spook, just apologize and get it over and done with.' Gideon said.

'No.' Spook immediately rejected the idea.

'Why the hell not?' Lisa asked.

'Because this time I'm right!' Spook said. Dax caught Darren mouthing him to do as he was told, and Spook shaking his head as an answer. He faced Mia for some back up, but she was just looking at him sternly. Literally ordering him to apologize. 'Fine. I'm sorry Lisa for mocking you about your difficult condition.' Spook said through gritted teeth.

'Hmm. What was that? I couldn't really hear you.' Lisa replied neutrally.

'Then get your ears fixed.' Spook said crossing his arms like a nine-year-old.

'You're forgiven. For now. Next time you do something wrong and one of your extremely embarrassing memories might just slip out of my lips.' Lisa said threateningly.

'**He remembered her smell; the way she would sing to him sometimes. He remembered gurgling with laughter, trying to bite the tau palm of her hand between his toddler teeth, and then getting tickled. Wrapped in warm memory, his tail curled about him Dax fell deeply asleep.**'

'I feel trouble approaching.' Clive said.

'Dax I don't think falling asleep was a smart idea.' Mia added.

'Just listen to the story will you?' Dax said sounding genuinely snubbed.

'**His first thought was that the high chest of drawers must have tipped over somehow, and landed on him.**'

'Is it just me or is Daxerella suffering from amnesia?' Spook asked.

'It's just you.' Every one replied in unison.

'**Something hard and unyielding was pressed on the back of his head. Dax tried to move, but the weight on his skull was absolutely solid. He took a frightened breath and only when he'd inhaled a few bits of leaf and earth he remembered where he was. He opened his eyes and realized it was dark and damp and he was still in the woodland, jammed under the fallen oak, his nose pressed firmly into the earth. But why was he so squashed, when he'd been perfectly comfortable before, as he'd fallen asleep?**'

Everyone's attention suddenly drove onto Spook who was actually looking into Dax's ear with fascination.

'Oh my God!' he exclaimed. 'My predictions were true! There is nothing inside of your head!'

'Cut it out!' Dax snapped.

'I can't help it. You sometimes are just too... stupid.' Spook said snickering under his breath. 'It's almost as though you're a retard.'

'I've got to give him the credit Dax. You do seem daft.' Lisa said with a simply.

'I know I should be the kind one in moments like these. But seriously Dax you are quite daft.' Mia noted. Everyone looked at her aghast this certainly was not the type of comment that the healer would make.

'Who are you and what have you done with Mia Cooper?' Lisa demanded.

'See, Dax? Even Mia thinks you're a tad bit stupid and from my experience that is something...' Spook said with an innocent shrug. 'So I'm not the only person who is bullying you at the moment.'

'**Reaching out, he pulled himself sideways, turning his head to the right,**'

'Why right?' Barry asked

'I don't know, I think because I felt like it.' Dax said getting impatient of the numerous questions.

'**and thankfully, slid out from under the log, grazing the back of his head and his ear. He rose to his knees, groggily, and dusted the leaf and earth matter off his T-shirt and jeans.**'

'I swear if you don't notice now—' Spook began.

'**His hand froze in mid-sweep.**'

'Oh finally.' Everyone said in unison.

'**It was, oddly, far more of a shock to realize he was a boy again, than it had been to accept he was a fox. Dax sank into a cross-legged position, trying to work it all out.**'

'He could've if he had the brains for it.' Spook said in sympathy.

'The wood was dark and quiet, but there was a dim orange glow creeping into it from the streetlights far away in this road. He checked his watch; it was only 5.30. it seemed so much later.'

'Whoa! Whoa!' Jacob had paused Darren who looked at him confusedly. Jacob suddenly turned to Dax with an expression of utter disbelief on his face. 'Only 5.30? Do you know what this could mean? What the hell, dude? You are seriously asking for the trouble!'

'**Dax thought about the Incredible Hulk.**'

'Great comic!' Barry and Clive said in unison, Luke nodded in agreement too. Spook made an illusions of writings on top of their heads. On top of Clive's it said: 'Geek Pride President', on top of Barry's head it said: 'Geek Pride Vice President' and on top of Luke's head in huge writings (most probably to provoke Gideon more) it read: 'Geek Pride Staff'. The three did not seem to notice the illusions since it were on top of their heads and for once Gideon did not make a comment about Spook's illusions. Guess he had thought that the red-head was right.

'**His dad had a stack of old, yellowed comics under the stairs, which featured the incredible Hulk.**'

Clive and Barry actually gasped at that, Luke also looked horrified too.

'Your dad keeps those precious golden comics in a dirty staircase cupboard?' Barry and Clive exclaimed in unison. 'What is wrong with him?'

'Well they are just old piece of trash...' Dax began.

'They are not!' Barry pointed out. Dax shrunk a bit disturbed by his friends' love for comic books. Spook smirked and only made the font of the illusion writing bigger, bolder and fancier. Everyone, other than the illusions victims seemed to snicker under their breaths.

'What?' Clive asked. 'Is there something on my head?' he asked. Some actually began to laugh out loud at that.

'Oh no. Nothing at all.' Spook said waving his hand up and down in a '_oh don't be silly it is nothing_' motion. 'It is just that you two seem a bit too offended and passionate about this topic. That is all there is, nothing else.'

'Is he telling the truth?' Clive turned to Dax.

'Of course he is! God. No need to be so prejudice and suspicious about Spook.' Dax kept up the act his cousin had begun.

'Why is it that you two are suddenly nicer to each other?' Barry asked distrustfully.

'Well to begin with, Daxerella is the only person I have that is biologically connected to me.' Spook began.

'Spook is becoming more tolerable each day and I also feel sorry for him since he's got only one friend in the whole wide world and still hasn't confessed his undying love to someone in this school that shall remain nameless.' Dax completed giggling slightly. Spook turned to him in a glare that clearly said '_I don't know when or how, but I'm so going to kill you Jones_'. Dax replied his glare with an innocent shelled smile, which deep within seemed to say '_sucked in_'.

'The last point goes for you too Dax.' Gideon smiled evilly and Dax sensed Spook sending Gideon a mental 'thank you', whilst Dax sent him a glare that screamed 'I told you to keep quiet about that'.

'You know, I can hear everything that is going through your heads at the moment.' Lisa said.

'Good maybe then you'll take this as a cue.' Spook and Gideon said in unison not making any eye contact with the telepathic.

'**In the incredible Hulk, when Scientist David Banner got mad he turned into a huge green giant.**'

'And that actually decreased the size of his brain.' Spook said disinterestedly. 'Dingo, could you please not go into the whole goddamn plot of Incredible Hulk?'

'You can never ever, ever, ever speak about Incredible Hulk like that...' Barry growled his voice extremely dark and threatening '...do you understand?'

'I understand...' Spook began and everyone for a minute thought that he was possessed by some spirit '... your gay love for Incredible Hulk.' Oh okay, he's back to normal. Everyone thought in unison.

'**His shirt always got all ripped, his shoes vanished—just burst off his feet, Dax supposed— but somehow his trousers and underpants always stayed on, although they ripped into tiny shreds at the bottom.**'

'Throughout the whole comics was that all that had caught your attention?' Clive asked sounding disgusted of his friend.

'No comments.' Dax said.

'**Probably kids' parents wouldn't have bought them the comic if Hulk's trousers and pants had burst off too, reflected Dax.**'

'And imagine how catastrophic that would be.' Lisa said sarcastically.

'**So when the Incredible Hulk went away again and David Banner shrank back into an ordinary sized man, he always had his trousers on still. And then he just had to nick a shirt off a clothes line or something, and run home.**'

'Again what was the point of saying all of this?' Spook said exasperatedly.

'**Why then, thought Dax, am I dressed exactly as I was before?**—what the—?' Darren commented for the first time shocked by the words he'd just read. Everyone laughed out loud. 'Were you seriously thinking about that?' Darren asked still under the effect of the astonishment. 'You're sick!'

'Please just—just read...' Dax kingly requested.

'**Surely I should have just shrugged out of my human clothes when I turned into a fox? Surely my watch should be lying on the shed floor along with my T-shirt, jeans, underpants, socks, and trainers?**'

'Isn't it better that they aren't?' Lisa asked astonished by the Shapeshifter's twelve year-old thoughts.

'You wonder about the least related things mate.' Gideon commented.

'**Or maybe it had just been a dream.**'

'Yeah! A dream, just like in Alice in Wonderland.' Mia said.'

'I never liked that ending.' Spook said. 'It was stupid.'

'It ruined the whole purpose of the book.' Lisa agreed.

'**But if it **_**had**_** been only a dream, how could he have got out of the shed? He peered into his watch again. Its luminous hands now pointed to 5.31. Teatime.**'

'This is the second time he is looking into the watch now.' Jacob pointed out his voice filled with excitement. 'Let's anxiously wait for the next events to happen.'

'**Teatime! Oh no! Teatime!**'

'Yep, now it clicked.' Alex said.

'**Dax leaped to his feet, swaying dazedly, as he remembered that Gina and Alice would be back anytime—if they weren't already!**'

'Go Dax go! Run! Run like you never have before.' Gideon said getting caught up in the moment too much.

'**The shops shut at 5.30, so even if they weren't back yet they would be, anytime now. And if he wasn't back in the garden—back in the **_**shed**_**!**'

'He would be slaughtered like a little piggy.' Spook said.

'**Not **_**one**_** weed had been pulled. Not **_**one**_**!**'

'Then you're in big trouble.' Gideon said.

'**Gina would go off like a nuclear bomb if he didn't convince her that he **_**couldn't**_** do that weeding, because he was trapped in the shed. He had to get back in there—now!**'

'Then run already!' Lisa demanded.

'You know you're sort of talking to a book character.' Gideon said. 'That might be the first level of insanity.'

'Oh shut it Gideon! As if you did not do the same thing!' Lisa snapped back.

'**Dax ran across the wood, jumping over roots and dodging round the trees. He felt heavy and lumpy as a boy, but he tried to **_**think**_** like a fox and move as much like one as he could. He pounded out of the trees and across the edge of the allotments, blundering into a corner of the netting round the raspberries and scratching his shoulder badly on one of its little bamboo supports. He crashed on through the wasteland, stumbling through the tangle of weeds, and having to do a little dance in the rusty chicken-wire fencing as it bounced up and snatched at his ankles.**'

'Man, what a klutz you are.' Jacob said.

'I'd like to see you running for your life.' Dax replied.

'But wouldn't getting caught on the obstacles just slow you down more?' Alex asked.

'It technically should.' Spook replied.

'**He was drenched in a terrified sweat by the time he reached the low brambly hedge. It was great deal harder getting through it now, as a boy, but he didn't dare stop and worry about prickles.**'

'Ouch.' Mia said.

'That's what you get for sleeping at the wrong time!' Lisa snapped.

'I'm scolded again...' Dax said facing down in guilt.

'Please cry quietly.' Spook said.

'I'm woeful!' Dax said dramatically.

'You'—Spook pointed at Lisa—'stop scolding or bitching others and you'—he pointed at Dax—'take your woe somewhere else. As for _you_'—he pointed at Gideon who looked at the accusing finger incomprehensively.

'What have I done?'

'I just don't like you.'

'Gives you no right to accuse me.' Gideon said crossing his arms.

'I do not bitch people around Spencer!' Lisa snapped.

'And I have no other place to express my grief!' Dax pointed out. Spook sweat dropped.

'Spencer's failed attempt to solve a dispute between close friends.' Jacob said. 'He seemed baffled and was not too sure of what to do.' Alex began to giggle as though he knew what his brother was trying to do.

'What are you doing?' Spook asked.

'I've decided to narrate you!' Jacob smiled. Spook face-palmed himself with the exasperation. 'Spook face-palmed himself and assassinated about one hundred and fifty brain cells that nested in the area. I wasn't too sure why he would do that. The Spook I knew was sensible even though he was a pig headed, spoiled rotten brat that deserved some beating.'

'You see, Darren? This is exactly why _we_ don't usually hang around _them_!'

'"You see, Darren? This is exactly why _we_ don't usually hang around _them_!" Spook said and his words truly broke my heart. I though he started to think that our group wasn't too bad after all.' Jacob kept on narrating.

'I _did_.' Spook said with disbelief in a 'how stupid could I get?' tone. 'Until now...'

'"I did. Until now..." the illusionist said in a disheartening tone. I couldn't quite put my finger on what had changed his opinion so quickly.'

'Think harder you'll find out.'

'He told me to think harder and that soon I would find out. As if he could hear out my thoughts. This made me feel slightly intimidated.'

'I can because you are speaking them out loud at the moment.' Spook said.

'The illusionist admitted up to the fact that he could hear out my thoughts. I felt uneasy all of a sudden. Was he an undercover telepath all along?'

'You are an idiot.'

'He disregarded the high levels of activity in my brain. Was he trying to insult me there? Surely his tone sounded just like a friendly joke.'

'No. I think you should listen to me more carefully.'

'He said that my assumptions were wrong, again going through my mind and my thoughts. The friends all around us were laughing for some reason. I couldn't see what was so hilarious I was just narrating the story of Spook the Illusionist. Even Darren was laughing by now he usually held back his laughter when the mocking subject was Spook since Darren was Spook's loyal henchmen. To the description I had given for him Darren immediately fell off the chair and laughing so hard that tears were springing out of his eyes. He twisted and curled like a little worm that was tormented.'

'Gee Darren, what a friend you are.' Spook rolled his eyes but even now his lips were twitching since they were being forced to smile.

'The illusionist held back his smile and tried to frown instead. He ended up with a funny result of lips twitching forcing to hold back the smile. He inhaled deeply and tried to resist the urge of a smile. I watched very carefully and oh man! What a will-power!'

'Please... stop talking... I'm dying.' Darren gasped through incessant laughs. He was the one laughing the most wriggling about in the floor from the pains in his diaphragm.

'Darren pleaded for me to stop the narration and told me that his life was on the line. I possibly couldn't stop now. Not until Spook would lose his overpowering will-power and laugh at my narration. The immune to humour illusionist took his glass of water for a small drink. That was not very wise of him to do so. Since drinking water gives you more of an urge to laugh and spurt the water all over the—'

Spook laughed as a reaction to Jacob's temptations. He spurted his drink all over the place and began to laugh and choke at the same time.

'The illusionist had the secret skills of a darn well sprinkler that none of us never knew he would, I started to consider that he should become a garden sprinkler instead of a magician. He was laughing and coughing at the same time therefore we couldn't know whether he was dying or enjoying himself.'

'I'm dying.' Spook said stopping to laugh. 'Euurgh... some of it is in my nose.'

'Do you need a hanky?' Mia said with sympathy.

'Mia the awesomely kind healer began to sympathise the still unloved Spook, he noticed how she had paid attention to him and his heart began to race like crazy. Was he going to take his chances or just move away from it?'

'No.' Spook said sadly, he glared at Jacob who just ignored him.

'Say with this I can become like the next Ali Sparkes or something, write a biography on Spook Williams. I can already see the title in my head.' Jacob said dreamily.

'What is it?' Dax asked.

'The Illusionist. Brilliant I know.'

'Unoriginal.' Lisa said dully.

'I feel like spewing.' Clive added.

'I disown you as a brother.' Alex joined in.

'Why did I ask you that question again?' Dax scolded.

'I have an urge to bully him now.' Gideon said.

_Despicable_ Luke wrote and had an irritated expression on his face.

'That's even worse than Lisa's sense of choosing names.' Barry growled, Lisa gave him a threatening glare at that.

'I can't say a thing' Jennifer said.

'Jacob that book name really does suck, no offense.' Mia said.

'I think I have lost _all_ my motivation to become famous.' Spook spoke hauntingly. Everyone looked over at Darren to hear his comment. The other illusionist just looked at them blankly.

'I thought it was a pretty good name.' Darren said. Everyone (other than Jacob that is) sweat-dropped and again wondered how Spook and Darren came to be friends.

'I'll pretend as though I did not just hear that.' Spook said.

'What? It is a catchy name!'

'Just read. Please.'

'Darren, thank you mate.' Jacob said melodramatically. 'You're the only one who appreciates my creativity here.'

'Eer. It's okay? I guess.' Darren replied just before he began to read again. '**By sheer force he pushed himself under the vicious barbs, past the remains of his chicken takeaway meal, and back into the garden.**'

'Yay! He's home now.' Gideon cheered.

'**He ran so hard to the shed that he actually smacked into it, face on.**'

'What wouldn't I give to see that?' Spook said languorously. 'Do you think you can demonstrate what it would look like?' he asked Dax.

'Bugger off!'

'Damn.'

'**The lights in the house were still dark—but even when he was letting out a sigh of relief, he saw a double arc of car headlights swinging into the drive at the side of the house. They were back!**'

'Have I ever told you that you had the worst of luck?' Clive asked.

'I'm not too sure. No? I guess?' Dax replied.

'Well you do.'

'**With a horrified gasp, Dax dropped to the gap at the back of the shed**—'

'Please tell me that you are not expecting to get through the gap.' Spook said sadly.

'Maybe not.' Dax replied trying his best to keep a straight face.

'**and was about to push through when he realized he couldn't possibly get back in—he was much too big!**'

'Aren't I glad that you caught up.' Spook spoke wryly. 'Seriously, I'm getting tired of mocking you now…'

'**As panic flooded through his head like a blood-red tidal wave, Dax struggled to keep some sense. What now? What now? He glanced wildly around the garden. Over by the compost heap lay a garden fork, its prongs curled up dangerously. He darted across and grabbed it, dragging it back to the shed within seconds. He heard one, then two, car doors slam, and the faint unwelcome jingle of Gina's keys.**'

'Oh great she's back.' Lisa said sarcastically.

'Hurry up Dax, if you want to live that is!' Gideon cheered.

'This is very thrilling.' Jenny said with entrancement.

'**Grasping the handle of the fork, Dax shoved tit into the gap and pushed it round and across hard, levering the broken plank off its remaining nails. It seemed as if it would never move, although it **_**couldn't**_** be as strong as all that! Dax heard the front door crash shut and saw a light shine dimly through from the hallway at the front of the house. He could hear their voices.**'

'This moment is very heart racing.' Spook said. 'I like it!'

'Spook the illusionist suddenly got caught in the excitement of thee book.' Jacob still kept narrating. Spook looked at him in a way that said 'are you still keeping up with that?' and to his expression Jacob nodded with a broad toothy grin.

'In moments like these the main character, Dax in this case gets the best of luck and succeeds on what he is trying to achieve.' Clive said.

'How so?' Barry asked.

'You'll see.'

'**Fear was stabbing him and his heart was racing; Dax put the mad, screaming energy coursing through his body to good use and sent it all down the shaft of the fork in one huge spasm.**'

'And now.' Clive said.

'**With a loud crack, the plank split away from its nails and swung sideways.**'

'See? I told you so.' Clive shrugged as if it were nothing big.

'Wow. You really are good with things like these.' Jennifer said. 'It's amazing.'

'No it's not. You're just easily amazed.' Lisa said rolling her eyes.

'What was _that_?'

'Nothing. Nothing.' Lisa said shaking her head.

'Better be.'

'**Dax flung the fork back across the garden and ducked down through the larger gap. It was still very tight, and his injured shoulder hurt badly, but he wriggled and pulled and dragged himself back into the shed.**'

'Finally he's safe.' Gideon said with relief. His brother nodded in agreement.

'**Once he was in, he scrambled around and seized the wonky**—ha-ha. That's a funny word 'wonky'.' Darren said with delight once he noticed the awkward silence he cleared his throat. 'Sorry—**wonky plank, shoving it back into place. It swung away again, so he hauled the heavy bag of peat**—'

'Argh... those peat bags again.' Spook said with irritation.

'Hey! Don't diss the bags they saved Dax's life.' Gideon said pointedly.

'Spook declared his unchangeable hatred for the peat bags, yet Gideon said that he was not ought to hate the peat bags since they had once saved his friend's life.'

'Jacob, seriously stop it. It's getting annoying.' Gideon hissed.

'I can't I have to make a book out of it called 'The Illusionist'!'

'—**across it, pinning it back, hoping that Gina's sharp eyes wouldn't notice anything amiss. **

'**Then he turned, fixed his eyes o the shed door, commanded his breathing to go back to normal and, waited.**

'**Nothing happened.**'

'That was close.' Mia said.

'Too close.' Lisa corrected.

'Hey at least he isn't caught now.' Jacob.

'Don't count your chickens before the eggs hatch.' Spook said.

'Spencer Williams began talking in proverbs as if he were some wise bloke.'

'Why did I speak again?' Spook said miserably.

'He wondered why he even attempted to talk.'

'**Gradually heaving his chest subsided and the shaking in his hands settled down to the occasional tremor. As his eyes grew used to the dark, he could make out the things in the shed; things that spoke of a time, just a few hours ago, when something extraordinary had happened.**'

'We know.' Clive stated in an 'as a matter of fact' tone. 'We read it.

'Aw. Poor Clive is jealous, because he's got no abilities.' Gideon said in a babyish voice.

'Ah... but I have more of this'—he pointed up at his head indicating his brains—'than any of you do.' Gideon made no comments on that.

'Touché!' Jacob, Alex and Spook said in unison.

'**The raffia, the pots, the blurred red-brick drawing of the fox, just about visible shaft of light through the small shed window.**'

'You forgot the peat bags.' Lisa said.

'Oh well I guess I didn't want to bore you out more with the peat bags.' Dax said with a simple shrug.

'**He shifted and his foot hit the lemonade bottle.**'

'Which its contents were definitely not lemonade.' Spook said delightfully.

'The ingenious illusionist made an extremely productive and slightly humorous comment on the story of Dax Jones.' Jacob said.

'**It rolled slightly, spilling a few remaining drops of the white spirit across the floor. Dax bent and picked it up, returning it to the shelf.**

'**As he brought his arm back down, the shed door opened.** And that is the end of Chapter Three. Who wants to read now?' Darren said holding the book up for any volunteers.

'Oh I'll read!' Barry said. Getting up from his spot.

'Okay but hurry up we're itching for more!' Clive said.

'Okay. Okay.'

* * *

_**Vayla**: Yep it's finally finished! 6 277 words up and ready to be published!_

_**Kit**: Was about time. People are getting impatient._

_**Vayla**: Sorry... okay I'm aware that this chapter wasn't as funny as the others. It's because the third chapter is rather boring since not many funny/exciting events happen._

_**Kit**: Are you done apologising?_

_**Vayla**: Oh and I know I added a bit of drama in this one since in my opinion every single humorous parody deserves some drama in it. Sorry for publishing it this late. My sister took over the book, sorry sis for sneaking it out of your room. I also like to thank **Beth**, **Arrie the Fox**, **Ashes Of The Innocent**, **VAMPtony** and **Lizzie** for their reviews. Thanks guys._

_**Kit**: See ya for the next chapter._

_**Vayla**: Later! Oh and also I do not own Shapeshifter! (Just making myself clear!)_

_Vayla Evans7_

_-o^.^o-_


	5. Reading Chapter 4

_**A/N: I am so, so, so, so sorry for not updating this earlier. A lot of things had happened that put me off writing (*cough* some friend had told me to quit it like 2 years ago, and after a while I sort of forgot about this site*) for almost a year and now I've almost recovered from it thanks to a certain individuals!**_

* * *

—Reading Chapter 4—

Barry took the orange book in his hands and refused to settle in his seat, somewhere from the crowd Spook made a comment about him almost peeing his pants. Which only a few chuckled to, however Jacob stayed silent, when everyone asked him why exactly he wouldn't narrate Spook Jacob stated that he was indeed narrating inside his head and no longer wished to interfere with the reading pace of the chapter.

'**Gina looked Dax up and down before she spoke, and for one mad second he though she might be about to ask if he was OK.**'

'Clearly; he was intoxicated.' Clive shrugged casually.

'Yea, high on lethal chemicals.' Spook rolled his eyes. 'Carry on, I'm interested in how he gets out of this.'

'You mean, things other than yourself can be interesting.' Lisa asked. 'Wow, that's some character development.'

'All written in the next four books.' Spook smiled smugly, and Dax who understood the reference began to laugh out loud.

'Ha?'

'Inside jokes, inside jokes everywhere. You'll get it if we read on and see my crazy character development. So hurry up, Barry!'

''**What happened?' she demanded, her eyes raking over him and the shed around him. He was drenched with sweat and shaking, but now he tried to look groggy too.**

'**The wind blew the door shut,' he mumbled, 'and then the latch fell down. I've been stuck in here since just after you left.'**'

'I don't know you guys but that is some pretty damn long response coming from somebody who's "groggy".' Darren stated in all honesty. 'You should've said something like: "Got locked up in the shed, blame the wind, haven't gotten out since you left" with random sighs.'

'Yes, and that would make this book a complete fiction bestseller now wouldn't it?' Spook asked sarcastically.

'**She regarded him for a moment and he couldn't tell what she was thinking. After perhaps ten seconds she simply drew a short breath and turned back up the garden path.**'

'Not too much of a surprise if you ask me.' Jenny rolled her eyes.

'Actually it is: she didn't snap at him.' Alex began, 'That's a shock itself.' Jacob finished off for him.

''**Don't just stand there, then,' she said, over her shoulder 'Come in and get your tea.'**'

'The witch offers food!' Gideon exclaimed, to that action, Spook looked over his shoulder to face the eccentricity of the blonde boy. 'Don't take it Dax, it might be poisoned or something.' Gideon warned.

'It's all a part of her evil plan boy,' Clive carried on, 'it's like the warm cosy house invite a serial killer gives to the victim in horror movies!'

'Relax guys, she isn't that evil...' Dax said soothingly, as the shapeshifter was one of the most level-headed members of the group.

'**In the kitchen, Alice was at the table wearing a new pink fur thing. He guessed it was a sort of waistcoat but Alice said, proudly, that it was a bolero, which sounded to Dax like something used to hold back traffic. Frankly, it was better suited to holding back traffic.**'

'A furry bolero?' Spook recapped disgusted, "Not to mention: A _**PINK**_ furry bolero!? What sort of a fashion statement is that? By the way bolero is some sort of Spanish vest, remember this if you don't want to sound like an idiot when your future girlfriend takes you out for clothes shopping.' Spook finished with a wink, Dax turned bright red for a millisecond but chose to ignore his last comment.

'Alice sort of fashion statement,' Dax suggested, 'give her a break Spook, she was nine years old, at least she doesn't wear a sparkly cape.'

'This isn't a fashion statement Jones!' Spook fended, as his face once again turned the same colour as his dark red hair. 'It's an occupational dress-code.'

'... You don't see David Copperfield dress like that...' Dax mumbled, softly enough that Spook wouldn't hear him. Soon enough, Barry decided to carry on:

'**But Alice was in a good mood and quite friendly as Dax got himself a glass of water, twisting on the tap with a shaky hand.**

'**We saw Kelly at The Sphinx,' she chattered—'**

'Worst. Name. For. A. Shop.' Lisa growled in disgust. '_Ever_.' she emphasised to prove her point.

'Rather daft, don't you think?' Spook wondered tilting his head to the side with wonder.

'**(The Sphinx was the daftest name imaginable for an English shopping centre),**'

'See? Even Daxerella thinks so.'

'I'm telling you Alex, this guy here, he's a psychic.' Jacob muttered to his twin, who nodded in astonished amazement.

'You two are just easily amazed.' Spook rolled his eyes.

'I wanna call it: "Cousin's telepathy".' Alex agreed, and Spook only grunted in disagreement.

''**and I'm going to a sleepover party with her nest week. Sorry, Dax, you can't come. Boys aren't allowed.'**'

'Dax, does your little sister have an "older brother complex"?' Spook asked.

'What? No! She resents me!' Dax pulled a disgusted face to the accusations of the redheaded boy. 'What made you think that?'

'Just her approach, it was almost as though she wanted you to be jealous.' Spook furrowed his eyebrows.

'No I'm pretty sure Alice doesn't have an "older brother complex" for me.'

'**Dax snorted suddenly into his water, and choked slightly.**'

'That's not very nice.' Darren commented crossly.

'**Not at the thought of going to a sleepover party with Alice and all her little pink friends, but because he'd just noticed what tea was**.'

'Chicken?' Barry guessed.

'Chicken.' Dax confirmed.

'**Red and white striped boxes sat on the table —it was take-away fried chicken. Dax began to giggle, which made Alice and Gina stare. Dax wasn't generally given to giggling in their company.**'

'Dax wasn't generally given to do anything in their company.' Rephrased Gideon, rolling his eyes.

'Meh, they probably didn't want to see signs of any amusement from him when he was around...' rephrased Spook, as he leant back to stretch his back, whilst letting out a drowsy, drawn out yawn. 'I'm sort of feeling a little worn out, maybe we'll stop at chapter four today?' Spook suggested.

'Hush little Spook now don't you cry,' Alex begun singing, and Jacob eagerly jumped in to finish the tune.

'Papa's gonna bake you a brand new pie.'

'Pie? I don't even like desserts.' Spook said, whilst laughing and lied back with a smug grin.

'Oh Spook, now that's just a bunch of baloney. _Everybody_ likes pie.' Barry stated, whilst smiling a wise man smile, and shaking his head like a well educated adult.

'Ha ha ha… well now it's going to be everybody _minus_ one.' Spook stated.

'This is blasphemy! Horror! This is God's punishment to us Jacob.' Alex exclaimed frantically whilst holding onto his brother and shaking him madly. Jacob, on the other hand, was sniffling and hiccupping onto his twin's shoulder. Spook sat up from where he was lying, he had an utterly confused expression on his face.

'What is the big deal? It's just pie.' Spook explained, 'and keep it quiet, if somebody hears us at this time of the day we will be in big trouble.'

'It's the meaning of life! It's eternal, it's… pie' Jacob said, starry eyed at the end of the sentence. 'We can educate you about the greatness of pie if you want.'

'Sure, give it your best shot, results will remain the same though' Spook replied defiantly. 'Can we keep going with the story please, I swear I feel as though I might fall asleep on someone.'

'Our lap is always open to you, Spook, our child.' Smiled Jacob, to that, even Luke looked like he was cracking a laugh and Darren was hiding his face from his best friend.

'Oh, this get's better.' Clive laughed.

'The plot just thickened.' Barry added and the two hi-fived each other in their "success". Spook was senile to what he had just heard; he merely thought he had misheard Jacob.

'Did you just say "_our_ child"?'

'Dax, Spook, we have something important to tell you,' Alex stated, and Jacob came to his side. Both looked very much serious and solemn about what they were about to say. 'I… I mean we…'

'You two are our adopted children.' Jacob finished for him. Dax's jaw dropped to the floor, Spook on the other hand did not even say a word. 'We decided to adopt you two as our children because of your poor family lives.' Alex explained.

'I am not even surprised that it's me anymore, but why involve Daxerella now?' Spook asked.

'It's because we don't want to separate the cousins, now could you please read Barry? It's almost our babies' bedtime.' Jacob said, in a horrible maternal tone (or would it be paternal? Dax wasn't even sure anymore).

''**What's wrong with you, boy?' snapped Gina and peered at him hard. In the bright glare of the kitchen light, his scratched and grubby face was obvious. 'What's **_**this**_**?' she demanded and strode across to poke him hard on his wounded shoulder,**'

'Because, you know, poking at wounds is the _best_ way to make them better.' Gideon faked an advertiser smile.

'**Where a little flower of blood had bloomed through his sleeve. 'What were you doing in that shed?'**'

'He committed self-harm because life was just too much for him.' Lisa cried in sadness.

'Calm your farm, crazy. My cousin/brother isn't that desperate for escape yet, life has many, many obstacles in store for him.' Spook said as he threw an arm around Dax. Dax smiled wryly, as he knew this was the closest thing that he had yet gotten to a compliment with Spook, maybe not but the constant negative criticism had made him feel so.

'I wonder how cleverly our friend Dax will get out from this situation.' Stated Lisa, with a sharp hint of sarcasm dressing her tone.

''**I—I—nothing,' stammered Dax.**'

'As smoothly as expected.' Spook concluded with a slight snigger. 'You should feel privileged, not many people amuse me this much.'

'Why? It's an honour.' Dax smiled, he was by now used to Spook's teasing just as Darren had gotten used to it.

''**I just fell over in it. I… sort of fainted. It was very hot.'**

**Gina looked at him hard and her face was impossible to read. Maybe she was about to strike him**—she probably would—**, or maybe smile and say 'never mind'**. —Ha ha ha ha… not a chance— **Perhaps she was worried about what his father might think.**'

'I bet ten pounds on Dax being slapped across the face.' Spook declared raising his hand. The other guys (except Dax and Barry as they had been exposed to the result) looked at each other competitively.

'Make it twenty more on Dax getting smacked.' Gideon said. Dax looked at him dumbfounded, 'sorry mate, you don't stand much chance in making it out of this fine.'

'It's always nice to know that your best mate has no faith in you.' Dax rolled his eyes at Gideon's actions in betting.

'Don't take it personally, Dax. Spook pretty much has no faith in me and we get on just fine.' Darren said patting his friend on the shoulder. Like Mia, Darren was pretty much everybody's good friend, and had no nemesis within the COLA Club.

'Darren, you're the best comfort anyone could get.' Dax said teary eyed.

'Now that being said; Spook mate, I think that she is worried of what Dax's father might think so I will put thirty pounds on that bet.' Darren said, and Dax's jaw dropped: Darren doing something unkind, and disagreeing with Spook? This was just _beyond_ extraordinary.

'Alex and I bet fifty more on being struck across the face.' Jacob declared, locking arms with his brother proudly. Luke looked from side to side shyly, and then wrote on his whiteboard.

_I bet £20 on Gina being worried. _

Luke showed the board with a wide grin across his face, as he too was enjoying this very much. Dax was pretty much distraught on how people were betting on his fate, or at least he seemed to be, whereas the girls stood in a circle shaking their heads in disapproval of the boys' behaviour.

'You boys are so immature.' Mia, of all people, stated in disappointment and Dax could've sworn to see a look of distraught wash over Spook and Luke's face for a second. 'You should be ashamed of yourselves.'

'Mia, Mia, Mia… betting is like _religion_ for men. All of us have a way of performing it.' Darren replied. Spook looked at his usually introvert friend, no longer able to recognise him, with all horror and shock written in every particle of his face.

'I don't know what you are, but please stop possessing my friend Darren at this minute.'

'What? Even Dr Watson from Sherlock Holmes bets.' Darren stated defiantly.

'Well, Clive clearly knows better as he is the only one that hasn't bet on anything yet.' Lisa stated crossing her arms like an angry mother.

'Well, that's because clearly in a situation like this. The unlikely is most likely to occur. I bet a hundred pounds Gina will smile and say 'never mind'.' Clive suggested, and with that all girls lost hope in the guys of the group and just talked amongst themselves instead. The boys sniggered and laughed at Clive's theory and the amount of money he had bet on it.

'Well bro, we are going to be rich either way.' Gideon smiled whilst throwing his arm over Luke's thin shoulders. Luke smiled back nodding eagerly.

'**Dad was due home in a few days and the bruises might still show.**'

'Ooh this is looking good for us, Luke!' Darren said, feeling totally piped up, his sudden character change not subsiding yet. 'We'll share the prize money £75 and £75?' Luke nodded in agreement. It was the fairest thing to do in a combined bet.

'Screw you!' Spook cut him off whilst praying he wouldn't have to lose his money.

''**Eat your food,' she said shortly. 'And then get yourself cleaned up. You stink like a dog.'**'

'Irony…' Lisa smirked.

'**Dax, still working hard to stop grinning, sat down and polished off his second fried chicken takeaway that day. Taken away from a shop rather than a bin this time, but still tasting much the same.**'

'And still not figuring out the secret recipe…' Spook cried to himself. 'Alex, Jacob, why couldn't you guys have adopted me a smarter brother like Darren, Clive or Luke?'

'You're going along with it?' Jenny asked Spook, giggling.

'There's no other way around these two. Explain for me Dax?'

'You only waste your breath by going against or be happy to go along with it.' Dax explained. 'And you complain about a marvellous brother like me.'

'Some people are just smarter than you are, but you're smart too.' Spook rephrased with a smile, and Dax smiled back. Then they just stood there smiling at each other, nodding.

'Dude, you thought that the cold, wasted fried chicken tasted _same_ as a freshly cooked one.' Barry said shaking his head in disappointment. 'I wouldn't trust a sense of taste like that, if I were you Spook.'

'**After tea he got into the shower and after the shower he got straight into bed. He was extremely tired and achy, as if he'd run a marathon. His very bones felt sore. And they should. They'd shrunk and twisted and turned themselves into fox bones not three hours ago—and then back to boy bones again.**'

'Come to think of it, that does sound very painful.' Mia stated, deep in thought. 'You must have great tolerance against pain, Dax.'

'I live with Gina and Alice. One does become accustomed towards pain.'

'Look at them Alex… aren't our sons magnificent.' Jacob turned to his brother with starry eyes, Alex looked back with a similar expression and a swooning sigh. 'Indeed Jacob, they are the best kids anyone can ever ask for.'

'Ew… incest, gay marriage?' Jenny looked at the twins in disgust.

'I prefer calling it, "tightening the family bonds", but yea, essentially gay marriage. Take note that this is legal in England.' Alex added.

'Hey, at least they do their research before they come up with their crazy ideas.' Clive stated. 'Now that I think of it, why did you search about gay marriage?'

'We came across it in a newspaper article, and immediately were drawn to it.' Jacob smiled broadly.

'Don't ask, questions, it's a waste of breath.' Spook re-stated.

'Just go with it.' Dax added.

'**People told you about growing up and how it did odd things to you, reflected Dax, like growing hair under your arms and your voice changing. But no one had thought to tell him, 'Oh… and by the way—sometimes you turn into a fox.'**'

'HAHAHAHA! That's because it doesn't happen to everybody Daxerella you dumb dingo!' Spook laughed.

'Ok, son, that's enough comedy for you in a day, now settle down…' Alex said whilst trying to quieten down Spook. 'I swear he isn't usually like this when we get out.'

_Though I must admit, it is amusing to see how Dax thinks that this is a normal situation._ Luke showed his whiteboard with a broad smile across his face.

'See? That's what I'm talking about.' Spook said whilst gesturing at the whiteboard. 'Besides you can never have "enough comedy" with Dax.'

'Spencer, stop interrupting for one minute. Or so help me, I will rip out your vocal chords in your sleep.' Lisa threatened.

'Mummy…' Spook whimpered whilst hiding behind Alex.

'Wait, I'm the woman in this relationship?' Alex turned to Jacob. 'Why?'

'Now, baby, there is no need to confuse the child, our little Spook clearly needs our help and support.'

'Okayyy… I'm reading now!' Barry declared, seeing as how the situation was going to get out of control.

'**It wasn't something they put helpful posters about up on the walls at school. A tired, mad little giggle eased out of Dax as he got sleepier. He pictured the poster. BOYS, it read, HAVING FOX PROBLEMS? CAN'T STOP SCAVENGING ON TIPS AND EATING SPIDERS? COME AND SEE THE SCHOOL COUNSELLOR...**

**Dax thought he heard the shrill scream of a distant vixen in the woods**—your mate, I can call these things—**as he drifted off to sleep, still laughing.**'

'Ugh. That is the creepiest way to sleep, like, you look at them and they're just smiling emptily at you…' Spook said as he shivered in thought.

Lisa glared at him, and he went quiet again with a 'sorry'.

'**And, of course, the next morning he was even more inclined to think it was all a dream.**'

'Not this again,' sighed Gideon.

'**It must've been. The hurt shoulder **_**had**_** happened when he'd fainted and he'd just had an amazing dream.**

**But before he left for school, on a cool, grey morning, he found an excuse to walk down the garden, and with a pulse of excitement, he saw clearly the broken plank at the back of the shed, and the scattered chicken bones and squashed box under the hedge. How had he managed **_**that**_**, if it was just a dream?**'

'Wait, this cold, grey morning somehow feels familiar.' Clive thought out loud.

'Who cares about that? I think things will finally be getting interesting here.' Spook said.

'**Clive met him at the gate**—'

'Awww yea! I am _first_ introduced! _First_!' Clive celebrated to himself.

'Ooh let's have a character introduction countdown, last person will have to go through a penalty, game of some sort.' Gideon proposed.

_The last introduced character will have to buy soda and lunch for the rest of us, on a given day._ Luke proposed, and everybody came into an agreement, however some of the kids were worried on whether or not their character would be introduced last.

'**as he arrived at school. Clive's glasses were bent again and his Monday morning jumper, which should have been clean and ironed, was scrunched up and had muddy stains on it. Dax looked at his friend closely and saw his eyes were still wet.**'

'Did you punch the people who did this?' Spook asked.

'Even better.' Dax smiled like a Cheshire cat.

'I am not ashamed to call you my cousin.' Spook smiled back twice as cunningly.

'**He gave him a bit of tissue from his pocket as they headed into the school. There was nothing he needed to say. Clive had just had another smacking from Toby Rogers and Matthew Spacey. Clive told him they'd found out were he lived and were waiting for him at the bottom of his road.**'

'I am pretty sure you could get them arrested for this mate.' Barry said, 'Pretty sure.'

''**I don't mind getting thumped at school,' he said, daftly, because of course, he did mind. 'But I just can't stand it when they're outside my house too.'**

'**Are you going to tell?' asked Dax, although he knew what the answer would be. Clive eyed him as if he'd gone mad. He was a small boy, smaller than Dax, and clever.**'

'This is slightly upsetting to hear.' Darren said. 'I understand how you feel, people were jerks when they found out that I lived with my nana.'

'Psh! They don't matter, you've better friends and classmates now.' Spook said, patting his best friend on the back. 'Not to mention, a best friend who's the most amazing, charismatic and funniest person alive on the planet.'

'I wouldn't have you any other way.' Darren smiled.

'Oh, look at them Jacob, they're just like us when we first met.'

'What do you mean: "met"? We've always been together woman!' Jacob laughed, and Alex joined him.

'**He was extremely good at science and maths and he talked way too posh for a boy at Bark's End Junior School.**'

'Aw, Dax, I am flattered.' Clive smiled happily.

'**Clive had a quite unique unintentional habit of **_**looking**_** posh, too, which didn't help. He carried an old-fashioned brown satchel, rather than a backpack, and wore knitted v-neck jumpers and a tie, when he could have worn a school sweatshirt and polo top instead.**'

'We should be happy Spence didn't go to that school, right?' Lisa giggled, eyeing Spook's back where a cape would have been, two years ago.

'One, it is Spook, not "Spence". And, two people stayed away from me in Junior High. I didn't really have the best time of my life either, and, three: _you_ were the one who was complaining about my commentary not too long ago. Hypocrite…' Spook said crossing his arms, and pouting.

'Stop bullying my baby…' whined Alex, hugging Spook.

'Okay, mother-hen, calm down.' Lisa grinned leaning back.

'**He was asking for it, really, as far as Toby and Matthew were concerned. So far this term, they'd smacked with large beans off the Indian bean tree in the upper school playground,**'

'That sounds quite _posh_ for a bully, don't you think so?' Darren commented.

'**wrecked his scale model of a steamship and its mechanical workings which he'd spent hours on for a class project, held his head down the toilet bowl and flushed it, up-ended him in a bin, and shoved itchy rosehip seeds down his shirt countless times.**'

'Seriously, this abuse is getting out of hand.' Mia commented, 'Someone needs to tell the teacher, call the police, do _anything_.'

'Don't worry, Daxerella will save the day.' Spook reassured Mia.

'**Dax tried to help. He was the one who ended up sloshing water down Clive's back to get the seeds off and handing him the paper towels to dry his recently flushed hair. He'd spoken up boldly for Clive once or twice, answering back when Toby and Matthew were jeering at him, and got clouted on the nose for his efforts. Clive told him not to bother.**'

'You're one loyal geek, you know that don't you?' Lisa turned to Clive.

'I take that as your compliment, thanks.' Clive smiled.

''**Look,' he said, sagely, 'this is what school is for me. I just have to get through it. One day I'll be at college and then at university and then I'll have a really high up job and I'll hire Toby and Matthew to concrete the drive outside my mansion house, and when they're not looking I'll spit in their tea and rub their chocolate biscuits over the cat.'**'

'You plan on keeping a cat?' Spook asked, eyes shining.

'You like cats?'

'We use to keep one; mum had bought it as a kitten when she was pregnant to me, or so dad says. It was around until I was ten.' Spook explained. 'Apparently I cried for hours when we tried to give it to the pound, so my step-mum was kind enough to allow us to keep it.'

'What was it like?' asked Dax. 'Did it have a name?'

'It was like a white tabby with golden brown patch on its back.' Spook described, 'and its name was "Butter-chicken".'

'Wait!' Gideon stopped it, 'butter-chicken as in like the Indian food? Well, that just made a really sad story, not so dramatic.'

'It was either going to be curry, or rice. At the end she'd decided to make it 'Butter-chicken'. It was the best cat in the world, totally irreplaceable.'

'What made it so?' asked Mia, completely into the story.

'Well, you see, when favoured by it, Butter-chicken would retrieve a sock and present it to you, and then sleep on your lap, and play fetch.'

'I'll name my cat 'Curry' in the memory of Butter-chicken if you want.' Clive suggested.

'I'm sure Butter-chicken would appreciate that.' Spook said, with a nostalgic tone.

'I'm feeling hungry…' Barry whined quietly.

'**Dax laughed until he cried. Clive could be so funny, without even trying. And it was true, he'd been enduring regular bruisings from Toby and Matthew and other part-time bullies for all his school life. Some things you just got used to.**

**But one day people may go too far. And for Clive it was that Thursday.**'

'This author really knows how to build up tension.' Jenny stated, totally entranced by the story.

'Shh, I wanna read to you what happens.' Barry warned his glamour friend. 'Inconsiderate fool.'

Jenny pulled off a childish face at him, but let him read.

''**That's fantastic! Really, the best I've ever seen!'' Mrs Radway beamed at Clive, who was pink in the face and delighted that his work was top of the class again. He'd just handed in another working model—a perfect clock, engineered from paper. It was an astounding thing, thought Dax, as Mrs Radway held it up and turned it gently under the fluorescent light above he classroom. Cut into precise cogs and levers from fine green card and pasted carefully together—it actually **_**worked**_**.**'

_Wow, that's amazing Clive and it happened 4 years ago? _Luke wrote on his whiteboard, eyes wide with admiration.

'Nah, it's nowhere near as amazing as some stuff I have seen here.' Clive smiled.

'Casting illusions isn't that much of brainwork, Brainy.' Spook said, with similar amazement. 'You're not even a COLA, just a natural born genius.'

'I'm getting too much flattery here.' Clive said, turning pink.

''**Clive, I'd like you to take this right down to Mr Clegg now,' said Mrs Radway. 'I think he should see what a clever boy you are.'**'

'Don't teachers ever _think_?' exclaimed Lisa.

'**Don't teachers ever **_**think**_**? wondered Dax, as he heard Toby and Matthew sniggering. Don't they ever think about what's going to happen **_**after**_** they've said stuff like that? Clive was too thrilled to notice, but Dax could not only hear and feel the danger building up in the desks behind him, he could actually **_**smell**_** it. Hostility, resentment, and violence leaked out of Toby's and Matthew's skin like an evil fog and wafted down the aisles between the desks, sneaking towards Clive.**'

'I can actually see how this will turn out to be…' Mia said, in her cool voice but face painted with agony.

'Dax, what you do to these simpletons better be worth the wait.' Lisa said angrily.

'Now that I think about it, it wasn't enough.' Dax smiled evilly. 'I should visit them again sometime.'

'**Poor Clive literally **_**skipped**_** as he headed to the door with his paper clock—**there was a long drawn out 'aw' from every person in the group—**. And maybe that was the final straw. Toby and Matthew got up with the rest of the class as the bell rang for break, and then charged through the door after him.**

**In the confusion of each class emptying itself into the long school corridor, Toby and Matthew could no longer be seen; nor could Clive. It didn't matter to Dax. He could smell them. Their scent led away towards the head teacher's office and he hoped that maybe they wouldn't have the nerve to chase Clive too far in **_**that**_** direction. Suddenly, Dax picked up another, sharp, hot scent—it was one of panic and it came from Clive. He pushed hard through the swarm of children and tried to run but then drew to a halt and turned his head to the right. There was no classroom or exit to the playground, but a dull, blue-painted door, normally locked solidly against pupils.**'

'Worst idea for a hiding place, I swear, bullies can _smell_ fear.' Clive humoured.

'Why would you hide somewhere isolated? Why would you do that Clive?' Barry asked dramatically. 'I thought you were smarter than this.'

'It was the moment of panic, okay? You would've done the same.' Clive said sagely.

'**He knew it led down to a short flight of concrete steps to the school basement, which housed the boiler and the caretaker's tools and cleaning equipment. Dax shoved the door hard and found he was right; the door swung open and a dim light shone up from the underground gloom.**

**Dax ran down the stairs and nearly slid, halfway, over some pieces of green card. With a groan, he knelt and picked up one or two shreds of Clive's wonderful paper clock.**'

It's horrid what people do over jealousy. Luke wrote on his whiteboard, his face grim.

'Yea, I agree.' Darren said.

'Don't worry, karma will strike them back, and by karma I mean Dax.' Gideon said in his usual good mood.

'**Anger punched into him and he yelled: 'Clive! Where are you?!' his sharp hearing immediately picked up a small whimper, followed by a snigger and a scuffle.**'

'Anytime now, my son will show his awesome second character, and teach those hyenas a lesson.' Jacob stood proudly slapping Dax on the back. 'Please make sure they won't be able to walk again.' he said with a misfit smile on his equally misfit blissful face.

'**Dax thundered on down into the basement and saw Clive wedged into a foot-high gap under the boiler, curled up on his side. Someone had yanked out his tie and shoved a rancid looking mop-head down the front of his shirt. There was a little smudge of dark red under his nose and the ancient dust under his cheek was congealing into a damp sludge where tears had trickled into it.**'

'That is appalling.' Spook said as he pictured it in his mind.

'You don't say…' Lisa stated.

'Even I wouldn't do that to someone whom I wished for their death.' Spook stated, bewildered. 'Bullying was worst in your school, yea?'

'Yea…' Dax and Clive said together.

'If you ever go for a visit, take me along too. We'll chase them to the same basement and I'll make them meet my Halloween House of Horrors Ghost. I was able to successfully complete him after I could conjure plausible skeletons and intestines. I bet with that we can make it to the next Paranormal Activity film.'

'You're really obsessed with fame aren't you?' Clive said looking sceptically at Spook.

'Obsession is a young man's game. What I have for fame is simply a passion.' Spook stated poetically.

'Are you quoting from "the Prestige"?' Lisa asked, suddenly seeming interested in what Spook was saying. However, he just gave her a baffled stare, as though she were speaking Greek.

'What's "the Prestige"?' Spook asked.

'Oh, I thought you might know? An illusionist movie and all, it has Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale in it. I suggest you check it out.'

'Isn't Hugh Jackman Wolverine? And Christian Bale the "Batman"?' Spook asked.

'Yep, and in this movie they're both illusionists.' Lisa explained.

A long pause came by the air was full of consideration.

'I'm buying it.' Spook finally said, and the entire room cracked up in laughter. It was a nice relief from the heavy atmosphere that the little orange book was giving with its current scene.

'**Dax was appalled. Fresh fury shot through him and he glanced around for Clive's attackers. Clive was saying now, raspily: 'Don't, Dax. Dax, just go. I'm OK.' The absurdity of his words stung Dax into action and he grabbed a short piece of wood from the floor and charged around the basement, clattering into old boxes and steel buckets and snake-like coils of hosepipe.**'

'Strangle them with the hosepipe, yeah?' Barry suggested and laughed maniacally.

''Where are you?!' he shrieked. 'Come out, you stinking cowards!'

'**And you'll do **_**what**_**?' Toby stepped out of the gloom, smirking across his thick, ugly face. Matthew sidled out next to him, his good-looking features blighted by his natural nastiness.**

**Dax heard his voice strangling in his throat as he said, 'I'll show you what.'**'

'Oooh! Shiz just got real!' Alex and Jacob chirped in perfect synchronisation.

'**Clive cried out, 'Dax—don't! Just go!'**

**As he raised the wood Dax saw a flicker of confusion, rather than fear, in Toby's eyes. 'Oh, yeah—right—**_**I'm**_** scared,' chortled Matthew.**

**Dax brought the wood down as hard as he could in the direction of Toby's head. It cracked against him, but it was the boy's hand that had caught the blow—**'

'Oh, come on. Dax! You had one job! You are a loser, a sole loser.' Spook mocked a whine.

'I get the feeling you had called me that before.' Dax scowled in consideration. 'As well as "foxy", you did give us some nicknames didn't you?'

'Have no idea what you're talking about, Jones. Look at me, I'm a ginger for Pete's sake, do I seem like the type of person who would give nicknames and mock other people?' Spook feigned innocence and everybody chuckled under their breath.

'The only true statement there was you being a ginger.' Gideon laughed.

'It was the only statement.' Spook rolled his eyes with a sly smirk. 'And in the wise words of Tim Minchin: only a ginger can call another ginger: "ginger". And the only "ginger" thing about you is your freckles, Reader.'

'Yea, something must've gone wrong with the creator on that day, aye? Because, I'm pretty sure these'—he pointed at the freckles on his face—'are meant to be yours mate.' Gideon said, and the two got into silent fits of laughter, until they were red on their faces.

'**a large, thick hand, like its large, thick owner, which was even now clenching on to Dax's piece of wood and twisting it out of his grasp. Dax didn't have time to step back before the wood struck him across the cheek. Toby played cricket and all his expertise went into the swing.**'

_Ouch…_ Luke wrote in his whiteboard, and the way he held it up, made him resemble the Coyote from "Roadrunner" cartoon show.

'If you knew he played cricket, why did you attack him with a piece of wood?' Barry shook his head. 'You should've strangled them.'

'**Dax was pole-axed**—if you'd just strangled them, this wouldn't have ever happened—**.**'

'Or maybe he could've locked them in a tank full of water, a slow, agonising death.'

'Seriously, Spence? This is the second "The Prestige" reference you've made today.' Lisa glowered at Spook. Spook stared back, clueless.

'I have no idea what you're talking about, Hardman. But you better not spoil the movie I am so eagerly waiting to watch.' Spook knitted his brows harshly.

'**As he tipped back and fell onto a narrow strip of stone floor behind the boiler, he could already smell his own blood, and the wave of rage that plunged down over him just before the back of his head hit, was like nothing he'd ever known.**

**It couldn't have been more than ten seconds, but to Dax it seemed longer and slower. He could feel the muggy heat at the base of the old boiler and smell the sharp iron scent of blood in his nose; he could feel his skin stretching and swelling around the impact point on his cheek; he could hear Clive whimpering again and Toby saying, 'That'll sort him out. He started it. Mate—you live by the sword, you die by the sword.'**'

'By that logic, these guys should die by torment.' Jenny stated

'No they need more suffering, like humiliation, disappointment.' Barry also added.

'I can't believe my eyes. This really has you guys worked up, aye?' Clive said, seeming very delighted and impressed by his friends.

'Of course, you're our favourite and only genius, Clive.' Jacob smiled as he patted him on the back.

'Gee, I'm flattered.' Clive blushed, from all the attention he was getting.

'Now only if Daxerella shapeshifted, and finished this pointless fight.' Spook leant back. 'And then, I can sleep in peace tonight.'

''**Live by the plank, die by the plank,' added Matthew and the pair began sniggering helplessly. **

**Dax's skin was tingling weirdly all over. For a while his vision swam into inky blackness and the sound of taps turned on to their fullest was back in his ears and then he was lying on his belly, looking under the base of the boiler to the back of Clive's head and watching Toby's and Matthew's school shoes walk by, and pause by their victim. Maybe that would've been that, if Dax hadn't then seen one of each pair of scuffed black lace-ups senselessly give Clive a vicious kick.**'

'That's _it_! Are you going to do anything about this Daxerella? The chapter's almost over and I am feeling very unsatisfied with your failures so far.' Spook crossed his arms, pouting.

'**Dax screamed. The sound was so high and wild and loud that it scared even him. But the scream was only the start. His sleek auburn body curled around the boiler and then sprang at the two boys. There was a blur of grey and red and then Dax realized he wasn't the only one screaming. His claws found cloth and skin and hair, his teeth found flailing limbs and contorted faces; the wildness that stormed through him poured out on to Toby and Matthew as they cried out and stumbled and sobbed, clawing desperately at the thing that was attacking them, trying to get back up the basement steps.**'

'Excellent, make sure that they die of rabies. Do you have rabies, Daxerella?' asked Spook.

'You are one gruesome child.' Lisa scowled. 'But I must admit, this is satisfying.'

'He had it coming~ He had it coming~ He only had himself to blame~' Darren hummed quietly, but loud enough for the group to here.

'Are you humming "Chicago"?' Mia asked Darren, with a smirk on her face. Even for her, to see a boy humming that song today was odd.

'I listen to a lot of musicals.' Darren said, turning bright red from embarrassment.

'Be careful, Mia, if he gets even more red. He will explode, what he lacks is a little bit of a backbone.' Spook smiled. 'Hence, I am transplanting some of my own into him.'

'Hush, I know that it may seem a little odd. I am not a big fan of it either…' Darren said even more quietly.

'Yes, and we are dying to find out what else is done to those two.' Jacob and Alex again said in perfect synchronisation.

''**Help me! Help me!' cried Matthew. 'It's a monster! Mum! Mum!' Toby just kept up a high-pitched wail and tried feebly to beat Dax off his shoulder as he staggered up the steps.**

**The pandemonium grew louder and louder and more desperate and Dax felt his teeth pierce skin.**'

'Remind me to never annoy you, okay?' Spook said whilst smiling awkwardly, he knew he wasn't nearly as bad as those two. But he was still too worried that someday he too might take his teasing a bit too far.

'Don't worry, Spook. I believe you're better than you were then.' Dax said reassuringly.

'I wonder how we will feel at our character introductions…' said Jenny, 'after all, it's been at least four years since then.'

'Well, I felt pleased with mine, because I earned your sympathy.' Clive said, turning pink again, 'And as far as I'm concerned, it's not healthy for me to get this red in one night.'

'I will be proud of my younger self, I just know it.' Spook said proudly.

'I will be annoyed with my younger self.' Lisa stated, aggravated. 'I think of myself as one of those annoying brats.' She added.

'Well we'll see…' Dax smiled, and signalled Barry to continue reading.

'**Suddenly, the boy inside him registered revulsion at the thought of tasting this hateful creature's blood he dropped to the floor and slid back into the shadows, panting, watching as the two boys literally crawled up the steps, crying. Bloodied, scratched, and with large ragged tears in their sweatshirts and trousers**—wow it makes it even better when you know they totally deserved it—**, they finally reached the door at the top and, clinging to each other, pushed it open and fell out of the basement. The door swung shut again behind them and silence descended.**'

'End of chapter four.' Concluded Barry.

'Well I must admit,' Mia began, 'that was satisfying at the least.'

'Agreed,' Spook chirped. 'But to be honest, I need sleep. We'll continue this tomorrow? It's a Saturday anyways, and the day after is a Sunday.'

'Yea, mate, we need a good rest too, but who will read tomorrow?' asked the Teller brothers.

'We'll have a coin toss if we must,' Clive said. 'But we need some rest after reading four whole chapters in one night.'

'True, that.' Dax agreed.

And so the worn out COLA children headed to their rooms to have a rest for the night to greet the next eventful day in delight. Before, going to their bed, however, the teens had another drink of lemonade in celebration of finishing four chapters, and laughed, joking, mocking and remembering the "good old days", before finally being exhausted enough to go to their long dreamless slumbers.

* * *

_**A/N: Word count must be have a glitch because I am seeing 7158 words in this chapter. And well, I have not written that many in a while so it feels odd to have that *blush***_

_**Sorry if this chapter isn't as good, great or funny as the last few, but I didn't really know how to make humour of Clive being tormented at school. Hardest part of an author's life.**_

_**Also I believe I am getting a bit too rusty in writing. Ehe~! I really hoped you like this chapter my dear readers.**_

_**Merits must be handed down to:**_

_**Beth (for always awaiting my chapters)**_

_**ScarletCuteTiger**_

_**Lizzie**_

_**tlkin2much**_

_**Ashes Of The Innocent (whose writing I had admired for ages)**_

_**Subject 16**_

_**man of books and tv**_

_**guest**_

_**Strangely Penned**_

_**x-ema-x**_

_**Megadracosaurus (who's given me endless support)**_

_**ValkyrieVeela**_

_**avengerspotter**_

_**drebom**_

_**YeahI'mWeirdAndILoveIt**_

_**Arya54 (I have a friend of that name ^^)**_

_**Ferosianinja**_

_**randomdude**_

_**MEEEEE**_

_**tillyellen**_

_**The Princess Dragon**_

_**And special merit to **__**Elizabeth (Liz) D.**__** and **__**Zachary (Zac) F.**__** who've been in my life supporting me in my writing. Liz I hope my stories always cheer you up and I hope Zac, you always see me as the best writer in your eyes.**_

_**Thank you for the endless support guys, you have made my writing life so much juicier and better.**_


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